My Only
by LC Rose
Summary: Sesshoumaru knew the scent was coming from her, but why? Sess/Kag *COMPLETE and REVISED since 4/2010*
1. Chapter 1

** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **

**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.**

A/N: I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Therefore, without further ado, my inspiration for this was from a video on YouTube called "Only One (Sesshoumaru x Kagome AMV)" by asurotenkatchi. This in almost no way follows the video story line, though.

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**MY ONLY**

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~ Chapter One ~

THE scent caught him unawares and caused him to stop immediately. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air again, sure that something had to be amiss, but no. It was there. His nose did not lie.

Straying from his intended destination, Sesshoumaru followed the trail of the odor and came to the clearing housing the well he knew that others of his…association…frequented. Their smell, that of his half-breed brother and the miko who traveled with him, was everywhere. Then, as if he'd summoned her presence, he felt a rush of ancient power and observed as two slender hands came out of the well. An instant later, his brother's miko was sitting on the well's edge.

Sesshoumaru stepped back into the tree line, out of her line of sight, and tasted of the air again. His senses had led him in this direction and only the miko was to be found here. Therefore, he concluded, the scent had to be coming from her, but why?

She had swung her legs over the side of the well and was standing. Sesshoumaru watched as she picked up the strange yellow sack she always carried with her and brushed leaves off of her foreign clothing. He thought back on the other times he'd been in her presence. This scent had not been there then. He would have known instantly. He would never have missed such a detail.

Growling to himself, he saw her tense. Had she heard him? No. Her eyes were darting around the clearing in a searching manner. If she had heard him, she would have turned to face him. Her miko abilities must have alerted her to the fact that all was not well around her. He could smell the rising fear in her. Her pulse was racing and her heartbeat sounded like a drum to his fey ears.

Able to resist no longer, Sesshoumaru stepped out of the tree line and she spun to face him, taking an involuntary step backwards. The smell of her fear spiked and he understood to reaction too well. Before he might have savored this reaction as she was nothing but a pathetic human, a means of getting his half-breed younger brother, but now something was different. Her wide frightened eyes annoyed him.

Taking a step forward, he breathed in deeply. The smell was near to intoxicating. "Explain," he demanded.

The human girl's eyes widened even more, if possible. She looked around her, wanting escape. Sesshoumaru could read her every thought. They were clearly visible in every movement she made. Her hands were shaking, but she'd clenched them into fists at her side. "Explain," he demanded again, his tone harsh. He did not repeat himself.

"Sess...Sesshoumaru," she stuttered, her fright near to robbing her of voice. "What do you want?"

He growled low, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. Had he not made himself perfectly clear? Moving with youkai speed, he slid forward until he was less than a step away from her. From this distance the odor was near to overpowering and he could feel himself reacting physically to it. Growling again, he grabbed hold of his instincts with an iron grip and focused instead on the human girl in front of him. She tried to move away from him, but the well was behind her. There was nowhere for her to go.

His hand shot out and wrapped around her slender wrist. If he wanted to, he could snap her fragile bones to nothing. She knew this. The smell of her fear nearly overpowered the other. Why did this bother him? He was Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. She was human, beneath him, but yet there was the fragrance he'd never thought to ever smell. "Girl," he bit out, his voice low and even but obviously tinged with anger and something more. His control was slipping and that was a dangerous thing. "This Sesshoumaru is becoming irritated."

She gasped, the motion bringing notice to her throat. It was slender, soft, and vulnerable. How many times in the past had he tried to rip into that flesh? How many times had she somehow evaded him either by luck or because of the damn half breed? "I don't understand what you are talking about," she replied at last, her voice strengthening.

His hand squeezed her wrist tightly. Sesshoumaru could tell that it hurt her, her large blue eyes winced and a whimper slipped through her lips, but he did not care. He would have his answer.

Keeping her in place by the pressure he kept on her wrist, he leaned forward until his face was only inches from hers. He closed his eyes and let himself merge through his senses with that of the miko's. The sound of her blood rushing through her body filled his ears. A breeze blew through the clearing and her hair came forward to brush against him. It was soft, softer than he would have thought possible, and carried her scent. Leaning even closer, he lowered his head until his nose was at her throat. Sniffing, he let his tongue dart out and swipe against her vulnerable flesh. She visibly jumped at his touch and his grip on her wrist tightened in reprimand. Her taste was as intoxicating as her smell and Sesshoumaru forced himself to not lick again. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes once more. They were full of fear and confusion. She reeked of it.

Disgusted with the filthy human and with himself, Sesshoumaru released her wrist and her other hand immediately moved in to soothe the reddened flesh. He did not remove his hand from her person, though. Instead he traced upwards and enclosed his fingers next about her throat, pressing his claws dangerously against her flesh. "You will cease your fear," he ordered. "You will explain yourself to me, girl."

The fear in her eyes was quickly replaced with anger, outrage, just as he knew it would be. His brother's wench had always been quick to forget the danger she was in. He thought back to the time when she had removed his father's fang when neither he nor the half breed could. At one point Inuyasha had ordered her to stay out of the way. She'd angrily pointed the sword at the half breed, yelling words Sesshoumaru could not be bothered to recall, until she'd remembered that he was standing there before her. Then she'd turned his own great and terrible father's fang on him. It had both disgusted him and made him give her a grudging respect. No human had ever spoken to him that way before. "I don't know what you are talking about," she bit out at him, her voice no longer afraid.

Sesshoumaru could smell the truth. The female did not know what he was speaking of. How could this be? Could she not sense the same as he? Yes, she could, he told himself. He could see this in the way her eyes flashed and in the way her heart beat. She just did not understand what was happening. After all, she was no youkai. She was merely, he added with even more distaste, a human.

Another scent caught his nose. The half breed was coming. Snarling, Sesshoumaru lifted her easily off the ground. Her hands involuntarily reached up, gripping his arm in a failed maneuver to force his release of her. It was a foolish effort. She was weak, frail. He brought her close to him; so close that their breaths mingled. The anger in her eyes vanished, but he refused to let the fear come back. "We will speak again, miko," he hissed before releasing her.

She fell to the ground. Sesshoumaru stepped back before she landed on him. Her hand went to her throat and she looked up at him from her position on the ground and Sesshoumaru found himself strangely pleased by the positioning she was in. On her hands and knees, it was as if she were bowing before him. If he had been capable of the expression at the moment he would have smiled. Instead he took one last whiff of her fragrance, willing the scent to fill him. Then he was gone. He could not be bothered with the half breed right now.

He did not go far. He could not. The scent of her drew him and he knew immediately when his half brother barged into the clearing where he'd left the miko. Rage filled him as he sensed his bastard brother getting near the human girl, but he was Sesshoumaru. He was always in control of himself. Sitting down underneath the spread of a giant tree, he sat back and closed his eyes. He focused on the girl and following her scent. There would be another time when she would be alone.

Warmth unfurled within him as he remembered the feel of her skin, the taste of her.

***

Kagome walked around in a stunned daze, jumping at every sound she could not immediately identify. Despite her friends' assurances that there were no demonic presences near the village, she was sure he was there: watching and waiting. At night, in her dreams, she could almost feel his hand on her throat once more. Only during that time his eyes bled crimson and his sharpened claws dug deep into her tender flesh. Then she was no more, the toxins in his claws making short work of her body.

She'd wake from these dreams covered in sweat, her heartbeat racing. It was also then that she knew he was still there for she could acutely feel his satisfaction. He was pleased that she knew of his continued presence, knew what he was capable of. He was pleased that her mind would not let her think of anything or anyone else.

Despite the assurances that Sesshoumaru was nowhere near them, Kagome could not drag herself to go back anywhere near the Bone Eater's Well, her passage home. Her body still took to shaking when she recalled his molten eyes. They were so cold, so calculating. It had been some time since those eyes had been turned to her. Before, Kagome had feared them but she had controlled that fear. No matter how he seemed, Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru was honorable. If she offered no threat to him, no disrespect to him, he would not strike her down. That thought made her give a half hearted laugh. If that were the case, he should have struck her down some time ago. Still, this time something had seemed different. Even though he had appeared as glacial as ever before, something had not been right. Something had disturbed him and whatever that something was it involved her.

Rising from her sleep bag, she walked out of Kaede's hut into the morning. The sun was just rising and a light breeze caressed her face. Kagome lifted her head to enjoy the sun's offered warmth and could have sworn she heard a rumbling purr of satisfaction. Jerking out of her trance, she looked around her, stretching her senses, but there was no one there. She could not even feel his demonic aura and Sesshoumaru had a strong one. Looking up to where Inuyasha was perched in his tree standing guard, she gave a shake of her head. No. No one was here. It was her mind playing tricks on her. Inuyasha had a strong dislike of his brother. The only other who riled him up more was Kouga. If Sesshoumaru came anywhere near the village, Inuyasha would feel him.

Having regained some measure of confidence, Kagome went back inside and over to her pack. It had been too long since she had soaked in the nearby hot springs. While her daily sponge baths were adequate, they did nothing to take the soreness out of her muscles. With all the tension she had been placing herself under—needlessly she tried to tell herself—the heated waters were just what she needed.

Telling Inuyasha where she was going and receiving a gruff nod of his head, Kagome smiled to herself and headed over the hill towards the hot springs. If there was the slightest danger Inuyasha would sense it and come to save her. He always did.

***

Sesshoumaru felt the oddest sensation as his lips lifted slightly in the way of a smile. It had taken less time than he would have believed for her to seclude herself. Oh, yes. The fragrant female had separated herself and gone towards the hot springs.

Standing with fluid grace, he closed his eyes once more and stretched out his senses to follow her trek. It was easily done. Her smell was embedded and drove him to find her. One not as strong as he would have already reacted and struck, but Sesshoumaru was not so undisciplined. He was also not so eager to believe that it was true. '_A human,'_ he thought with disdain. _'How could this be?'_

Determined to have his answers, not willing to wait any longer, he easily crossed the distance to the hot springs. Crouching motionless in the high branches of a nearby tree, he contained his growl of victory when the girl walked into the clearing. Use to feeling his nearness, he had not let his conscious leave her once since confronting her at the well, she took no notice of how truly close and strong his aura was and proceeded to disrobe. He watched as she walked into the water and released a quiet sigh of undisguised pleasure. Smiling to himself, Sesshoumaru looked over the scene. She was effectively trapped by her own design.

He alighted to the ground soundlessly, always the perfect predator. The girl was leaning back against a rock, her eyes closed and her soft, vulnerable throat bared for him to see. An appreciative rumble came from his chest when he saw her in this position. Still she did not seem to know he was there. "_Very well_," he thought, "_I will watch her for a time. Perhaps that is the way to get the best answers. And also I may breath in that blessed scent a while longer before her fear indubitably hides it." _

Keeping perfectly still, he allowed himself the small pleasure of watching her as she lay there in obvious bliss. Then she opened her eyes and saw him. Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. Her eyes widened and filled with the fear he knew would be there. Sesshoumaru gave a slight bow in her direction, throwing her guard off just as he'd planned. "Why are you so surprised to see me, miko?" he asked softly. He spoke quietly because he knew she could not help but want to listen to him and he wanted to see the proof of that. He was not disappointed. She leaned slightly forward, as he knew she would. "Did I not say we would continue our earlier words?"

Still she remained silent. At least she had closed her mouth. Moving closer until his booted feet stood at the edge of the hot springs, he almost scoffed as she made a poor attempt to cover herself from his eyes. Did she not realize that he already knew her inside and out? He had been with her for the past week, sharing every feeling and every heart beat. No, she would not know this. She was only a filthy human. She had no true concept of what it was to be a youkai. "You will speak to me, miko," he ordered, knowing that she would not be able to resist his demands.

As expected, outrage filled her body. She was still frightened and shocked by his appearance, yes, but she was also angry at him. Her eyes flashed dangerously and Sesshoumaru growled silently in appreciation. How many times in battle had he seen that exact look focused on him? _Foolish girl_.

Suddenly she did the unexpected and surprisingly caught him off guard. Throwing one of the towels she was using to wash herself with at him, she jumped out of the water and ran for it. Sesshoumaru caught the harmless wet piece of cloth easily and it crumbled to dust in his finger tips. His eyes followed the path she had taken and he stood in front of her an instant later. Unfortunately for the girl, she was not as aware of her surroundings as he was and she collided straight into his chest. Her body slammed into him and then crumbled backwards. Sesshoumaru almost smiled again, truly a feat as he had already smiled once this day, as he realized she was once more bowing before his superior self.

Leaning down, he grabbed a hold of her arm and lifted her to her feet. Pulling her naked body up against him because he knew it would disturb her, he was rewarded by the rapid escalation of her heartbeat and her frantic looks at any place other than him. "Look at me," he ordered.

Unable to not obey, his hand around her arm increasing pressure until she did so, she raised her head and looked into his eyes. "I did not tell you to run. I told you to speak with me."

Holding her firmly against himself but refraining from paying the slightest amount of attention to her state of undress, Sesshoumaru pulled her back to the hot springs. When they stood by her pile of clothing, he released her and picked up the robe she'd brought with her. Holding it out for her, Sesshoumaru watched as she took it from him and slipped it on. Once she was properly covered, he took a hold of her arm once more just in case she thought of fleeing from him again. "Now speak, miko."

Feeling a strong blush rise to her face, Kagome grabbed onto the only emotion she had that was anger. "How dare you order me around," she spat out, not caring what he thought of her tone. "How dare you watch me bathe!" she yelled next.

At the sound of her shrill yelling, Sesshoumaru's hand shot out and gripped her about the throat. His claws pressed against her skin and Kagome had a fleeting picture of her nightly dream cross her eyes. He did not kill her, though. Instead, he leaned forward until they were almost eye to eye. "I wanted words. Not screeching."

He was so pompous, so sure of himself. It was infuriating. Forgetting that this demon terrified her beyond anything else, Kagome snarled at him. "And I wanted to take a bath."

The next instant she found herself dumped back into the water. Coming up to the surface sputtering, swiping her hair out of her face, she glared back up at the youkai who'd tossed her in. He was smirking at her. "Now give me what I want."

"I wanted a bath...alone."

"We are alone."

"No. You are still here."

"I have always been with you, miko. Did you not feel my presence?"

Kagome stilled. She moved a step away from him, taking another and another until she was on the opposite side. He made no motion to follow her, but of course he wouldn't. Sesshoumaru moved with inhuman speed and could follow her wherever she tried to go. "What do you want?" she asked shakily, trying to push the sudden chill out of her voice.

Cocking his head slightly, his eyes settled on hers and he remained silent for a time. Then he straightened and looked off into their surroundings. Kagome sighed, thinking he would not answer her question. At the sound, his eyes were drawn back to hers. "I want," he said slowly, "To know why it is you."

"Why it is me what?" she asked, not bothering to hide her irritation now. Why was he always so cryptic?

She made to climb out of the water on the opposite side of the pool. As she pulled herself out, she gave a startled cry as her eyes met his legs. Then he was lifting her up once more, his hand a vice around her arm. While his face was expressionless, Kagome could tell that he was angry by his touch. Once she was standing on her own two feet again, he suddenly leaned forward once more and sniffed at her neck. Kagome forced herself to remain absolutely still and remained that way even after he had withdrawn himself. His piercing gaze found her eyes and the hold on her arm relaxed slightly. "Why do you, a human, smell that way?"

She couldn't help it. Her mouth opened in shock. "What?" she asked with disbelief.

A low irritated growl came from his throat. His hold tightened painfully. Kagome could see sparks of his aura lighting around him. "Do not deny it, miko," he said, his voice even more monotone than usual, a dangerous sign that.

"Since I have no idea what you are talking about," she replied in a voice as calm as his, trying to get through to him, "I can deny nothing, Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome hoped adding the title to his name would rub him the right way. She was not disappointed when he straightened and the hold of her arm eased once more. There was sure to be a bruise there tomorrow after the way he had been dragging her around. "Please tell me what you are asking me about and I will try my best to answer you," she continued in the same calm voice.

Sesshoumaru stared at the girl standing before him. He hadn't realized it before, but not once had he sensed fear from her since his initial entrance. And he had wanted to startle her then, he admitted. Now she was talking to him softly, calmly, respectfully. Her early ear piercing screeches were gone and her eyes did not show anger. What an entertaining surprise she was turning out to be! Even after inhabiting her essence for over a week, he had not expected her to try and win him in this fashion. He had expected her usual uncontrolled ranting. He grudging admitted that conversing with her in this manner was not entirely unpleasant. He, Sesshoumaru, was always in control and shunned most overly emotional beings. Deciding that he would reward her new tactics, Sesshoumaru answered her question.

For a moment she did not believe that Sesshoumaru would answer her. He just stared at her, occasionally sniffing the air around her. Then he surprised her by saying, "Your scent has changed."

_Her scent?_ Giving herself an experimental sniff, she didn't notice anything different about herself. Kagome looked questionably back up at the fierce youkai lord standing before her. "I can't smell anything different."

"Of course you would not," he bit out, his voice sharp. "You have an inferior nose."

_Inferior?! _Kagome forced herself to keep the calm in her tone. As much as she wanted to rant and rage at the too full-of-himself lord, she knew that such an action would get her nowhere with him. "Fine," she forced herself to say. "I admit that my sense of smell is not as keen as yours. Therefore, please explain to me how exactly my scent has changed."

Sesshoumaru raised himself up to his fully impressive height. He locked his eyes with hers, knowing she would not be able to escape his gaze. This was what he had been waiting for; to tell her exactly what her future would be. What would she do? How would she react? He could feel another one of those smiles trying to break forth.

His mokomoko-sama had secreted around her and was slowly wrapping up her body. With her eyes locked onto his, she did not struggle at all. It was almost as if she wasn't aware of what was happening. "You, miko, are ready to have your future decided," he said smugly, knowing it would irritate her and knowing she was trying desperately not to show that emotion with him.

"My future?" she repeated, her voice still soft but with a hint of a shudder. His mokomoko-sama was slowly sliding across her chest and coming to rest around her neck, flicking back and forth across the soft skin, much like a cat's tail.

"Yes, miko. You are ready to mate with this Sesshoumaru."

He wasn't sure what he expected to happen next, but the girl fainting was not one of them. She had gasped, softly, and then had fallen to the ground. Mokomoko-sama was cradling her and so kept her from completely landing. Sesshoumaru smiled, coldly, as he watched her. He leaned in, sniffing the skin at her neck. The sweet aroma of she filled him once more and he almost caught himself sighing. "Yes, girl," he said to her even though she was not conscious. "You are more than ready to mate with this Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru let his eyes wander freely over her body. She was his and he could do as he pleased. In unconscious sleep she seemed so young, so new, and so fresh. Her lips were slightly parted, as if waiting for his kiss, but Sesshoumaru had something else in mind. He lifted her limp arm, smelling of her wrist, letting his tongue take a taste of her. Taking one claw, he pressed it into the tender skin of her wrist until her blood blossomed around it. Then he raised his own wrist to his mouth, using his fang to do the same to himself. He placed his wrist next to hers and felt a rush as their blood mingled. By the time he found the strength to pull away her wound had already healed.

The process had begun.

***


	2. Chapter 2

** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **

~ Chapter Two ~

FOR some reason the feeling of being watched, of being caressed without being touched, would not leave. The others noticed her behavior, but Kagome could offer no reasons for why she felt the way she did. There was no sense in the way she was reacting to the world around her. It was almost as if she were being born anew. Everything seemed to be slowly changing both within and without. Even the same faces she saw each day looked new. She knew this had all begun with the dream. A week after her run-in with Sesshoumaru at the well, she had accidentally fallen asleep in the hot springs. Sango had come upon her sleeping peacefully after Inuyasha became worried that she was gone so long. She'd woken with a smile on her face, believing herself to be in the midst of a beautiful dream. The pleasing feeling remained with her for the rest of the day and periodically came back. The feelings were not constant, though. They came and went like a breeze. One minute everything would be right in the world and the next it was almost as if part of her was missing.

Looking over at Sango's worried expression, Kagome gave a soft sigh. She could see the concern in Sango's eyes and only wanted to assure her friend that she was well. Sango took hold of her arm, lightly, and held her back while the others walked ahead. Once they were far enough away, Sango let go of Kagome's arm and they continued walking together. "Something is wrong," fer friend stated.

"No," Kagome breathed with another soft sigh. "Something is right."

"Right?"

"I can't describe it, but something is right."

"You have been acting strangely, Kagome."

"When have I ever acted normal for this day and age?" Kagome countered. She did not want to speak on matters that she wasn't entirely sure of herself.

Sango did not take the hint Kagome was offering and the concern in her eyes deepened. "You were recently concerned that a demonic presence was following you, Kagome. Do you still sense it?"

Kagome mentally looked back on the past week. "No," she answered at last, somewhat surprised by her own answer.

"I am still worried about you, Kagome. Perhaps you should return home for a time? Get some rest? I am sure Inuyasha would let you go. He is as worried as I am."

Kagome gave a laugh. She had noticed the hanyou being less himself recently, but she had not thought much about it. She hadn't thought about much besides her dreams recently. Every day she went through the motions of normality while her mind was miles away. At the thought of returning to the Bone Eater's Well, though, she shivered almost violently. In her mind she could still feel Sesshoumaru's claws wrapped around her throat. The nightmare of his attack had not returned recently, but that did not mean her mind had forgotten the warning. Sesshoumaru did not want her to go near the well again. He did not want her escaping. Escaping from what, Kagome did not want to think on. He had yet to make contact with her again, though. Whatever it is that he had wanted from her, he had more than likely found the answers elsewhere. "No," Kagome said with finality. She had told no one but Sango, who was like a sister to her, about the nightmare that had plagued her. "I cannot go there yet."

The worry in Sango's eyes darkened momentarily with anger. She let out a few choice words, barely whispered but heard by Kagome, and her hands became fists at her side. "We will not let Sesshoumaru near you again, Kagome," her best friend swore. "While we do not know what the bastard wanted from you," she said, sounding more and more like Inuyasha, "We will not let him near you again. **I** will not let him near you again."

She reached out and placed her hand on Sango's arm. At her touch, Sango relaxed. "Thank you, Sango. I know."

They made camp that night in a small clearing. After the usual routine of preparing the fire and cooking the evening meal, Kagome and Sango went together to the nearby water and bathed. Kagome was feeling more lucid than she had in a while. The full moon shone brightly down upon them, creating beauty wherever it touched. They gossiped and laughed with each other as they had not in some time. Then they returned to camp and laid down to sleep with Inuyasha watching over them. Kagome chose to sleep away from the fire, as close to where Inuyasha sat as she could, and she felt more comforted by that action than she had in some time. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt Inuyasha come down from the tree he'd been sitting in. Silently, the hanyou moved to crouch down next to her. Kagome smiled.

***

_She was walking through a field filled with white flowers. A gentle breeze stirred and the flowers seemed to dance and wave with the music of nature. Smiling to herself, Kagome looked up at the full moon above her. It seemed so large, so close. She felt like she could reach up and touch it if she wanted to. _

_Her fingers extended and then suddenly the world spun. Kagome closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was at the bottom of the Bone Eater's well. The walls around her were cold and pulsing darkly which caused a shiver raced up her spine, but she couldn't remember why she felt so afraid. This wasn't a place that represented fright to her and yet now it was._

_Climbing out of the well, Kagome observed that night was still upon her and that no one was around. Then, suddenly, Sesshoumaru stood before her in all his frightening glory. For some reason, though, Kagome could not find the will to be afraid. Her eyes locked with his, molten gold to blue. _

_Sesshoumaru said nothing and moved forward slowly. When he was only a few feet away from her, he stopped but remained silent. Slowly, as if he were trying not to frighten her, his hand reached out and his longer fingers wrapped around her throat once more. Instead of his touch evoking fright and fear of death, something else swelled up within her at the feel of his caress and Kagome found herself confused. Throughout it all, his face remained impassive. "Sesshoumaru," she said softly._

_He nodded his head slightly, in acknowledgment, and then gestured again. The movement was almost nonexistent, but Kagome seemed to instinctively know what he wanted of her. She held out her hand, palm up, to him in offering. His claws scrapped lightly across her skin as he moved his own hand, sending shivers anew coursing through her body. Kagome looked down and followed with her eyes as his fingers moved slowly across her collarbone and down her arm to her wrist. There his fingers stopped and wrapped around her. The claw on his thumb pressed into her wrist, but she felt no pain. The only sign that he had hurt her was the fact that blood was welling up around the claw. Then, slowly, he moved even closer, raising her wrist to his mouth. His lips settled softly against her skin and Kagome could feel his tongue lapping at her wound, tasting her blood. Her heartbeat increased as something rushed through her in recognition, but the feeling was gone before she could place a name to it. Then he released her wrist but did not move away._

_Captivated, Kagome watched as he raised his own wrist to his mouth and broke the skin with a quick bite. She watched as he placed their wrists together and the strange sensation came over her again, stronger than before. She gasped, pain and pleasure mingling dangerously between them. Never letting her wrist lose contact with him, she reached out to him with her other hand. Her fingers brushed against Sesshoumaru's face without fear of reprisal. His skin was so smooth and soft beneath her touch and his eyes never glanced away from her. , "Why?" she asked softly, needing to know so much._

_"You are my only," he answered. _

_***_

Kagome came back to wakefulness with a gasp, her body coated with a light covering of sweat as if she had been fighting something in her sleep. Opening her eyes, she looked up through the treetops where the full moon hung above them. She turned her head and found Inuyasha watching her in the darkness. "Kagome?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?"

His concern for her was obvious in his gaze. Kagome smiled and nodded her head. "It was just a nightmare," she replied quietly.

His shame was immediate. Inuyasha blamed himself for allowing Sesshoumaru anywhere near her. If only he hadn't been late in coming to meet her... If only he had sensed his brother's presence sooner... "Was it about that bastard?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Even if she hadn't said anything, he knew that she'd been having nightmares. He could smell it on her.

Kagome sat up, shivering at the cold chill in the air. The winter months were drawing closer. She thought back to the dream. "I...I...I can't recall it," she said at last. And that was the truth. This dream had been akin to the dream she'd had at the hot spring. She could not recall whatever it was that had woken her from a sound sleep. Always before she had known every detail, every feeling. She had even been able to recall the smells and sounds with perfect clarity. Tonight had been different. Had it truly been a nightmare or was it something else?

She stood and Inuyasha looked to her in questioning. "I'm just going to splash some water on my face," she said as she moved off towards the small stream that was nearby. "I need to think."

Inuyasha mumbled something, but Kagome was already not listening to him. She trusted him to watch out for her. The stream was not too far away, just beyond the place where she and Sango had bathed earlier, and with the full moon the way was easily lit.

Kagome reached the waters and lowered herself to her knees. She reached her hands into the water, cupping them, and was pulling them up to her mouth when she stopped suddenly. Her eyes were drawn to her left wrist where there was a small faint crescent marking. Her brow crinkled as she tried to recall where the mark had come from. Abandoning the drink she'd sought, Kagome ran her finger over the scar. It wasn't raised or scabbed over. This had happened a while ago, but Kagome could not remember how.

How strange.

***

Sesshoumaru stood on a high cliff top, his eyes drawn to the full moon as they always were on such a night. He breathed in, but all he smelled was she. _Kagome_, he thought to himself. A smile, unbidden, came to his lips as her scent reached him. He no longer had to stay near her to sense her. Their ties were stronger now. She belonged to him. Still, Sesshoumaru could not stop himself from wondering why. Why her? Why a human? Yes, she was powerful in her own right, but that did not answer his questions. Still, his instinct, his very nature, was to claim her and so he had done. For once he had held no control on the situation.

A shiver raced up his spine and his eyes automatically turned to the direction she resided in. Then he glanced down at his wrist where his own mark lay. The miko was touching the mark, their connection. Softly her fingers were tracing it and her mind was confused. Sesshoumaru could see very clearly that she was wondering where it had come from.

Feeling an overwhelming desire to go to her, Sesshoumaru he closed his eyes, gathered his strength, and transported himself to her without a second's thought. When he arrived he found her still kneeling on the ground before the stream and he chose to reform from his ball of spiritual energy on the opposite shore. The miko raised her eyes to look up at him, but, unlike the last time they'd stood together, she did not seem afraid. It was almost as if she'd been expecting him.

Her finger was still absentmindedly running across the mark on her wrist and Sesshoumaru remained where he was, content to merely let her scent soak into him. He never took his gaze off of her as she stood. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

Sesshoumaru did not answer her. He stretched out his senses and looked around him. Her companions, the priest and the slayer, were asleep. The two youkai that accompanied them were also still resting. Inuyasha was awake, alert, but Sesshoumaru was adept at hiding his presence from the untrained half breed. _If only Inuyasha knew how many times I had come close enough to slit his throat..._ Turning away from such thoughts, he let his mind wander back to the young woman standing before him. The moonlight shone down upon her, its cold fingers wrapped around her body, and her aura pulsed as it came into contact with his own. There was a brief measure of recognition between them and then hers subsided. In her subconscious, she knew to submit.

He could tell that his silence bothered her. At the moment he was not feeling inclined to assuage her budding worries, though. He merely wanted to look at her—not speak with her. Then she surprised him by actually approaching him. Her small feet crossed the shallow stream by stepping on exposed stones and she neared until she was only a few feet away. Her strange blue eyes searched his face. For what, he did not know. As much as he was a part of her now, there were still mysteries, but Sesshoumaru found that only intrigued him more. "Are we going to finish our conversation now?" she asked.

"We already have," he said after another moment's pause.

He watched her chest rise and fall as she took in a breath. Her eyes moved from looking into his to the crescent moon on his forehead. Sesshoumaru glanced down at where her fingers were once more tracing the mark on her wrist unbeknownst to the human before him. He wanted to take the place of her hand with his lips, but he did not want to startle her. The fact that she was not reeking of fear in his presence was promising.

"Are you going to kill me now?" Kagome asked, thinking back on the nightmares she'd been having.

"Does death frighten you?"

Kagome paused, briefly. "No," she answered. "I am not afraid to die. I would like to have some meaning, though."

"Meaning? What meaning do you seek?"

The miko considered her words. She took a deep breath and Sesshoumaru fought to keep his gaze locked with hers. To watch her live, watch her breathe, watch her soft lips form a word was something he found that he enjoyed doing now, but he could not let her know what power she was gaining over him. "I would have the meaning behind your actions."

"And if I tell you there is none?"

"I would say you lie, Sesshoumaru."

His eyes narrowed. He did not lie and considered it a grave insult upon his person, but she did not seem to think of such when she spoke. "This Sesshoumaru does not lie," he bit out softly.

The miko did appear to be frightened by his tone. Her heartbeat was rising, but it was not because of fear. The intoxicating scent that was she was spreading. The world around ceased to exist. He reached out with his hand. She did not flinch as he drew near. Resting a clawed finger against her cheek, he dragged it slowly down the side of her face to her jaw. From there, he traced down her throat and placed his hand gently upon her shoulder. "Do you want to die?"

There was no hesitation in her reply. "No."

"Then I am not here to kill you."

She stayed still under his touch. Her eyes remained locked on his. "And if I had said yes?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at the young girl in front of him. She was beautiful and pure and bright and shining. He ached to take her then, to taste her blood once more. He'd never tasted something as potent as she. Instead of following his instincts, Sesshoumaru stepped away from her. "We shall see each other again, miko," he replied before once again transforming and leaving the stream.

***

Inuyasha found her standing on the opposite side of the stream; her eyes staring at something unseen with her hand held out in front of her. Easily leaping the distance between them, Inuyasha stood in front of her but she didn't seem to notice him. "Kagome?"

Then she blinked and seemed to wake from her daze. "Inuyasha?" she answered, confused. Her hand went to her forehead and she moaned softly.

Sniffing the air, Inuyasha stiffened as he noticed the very faint smell of his brother. "Damn it!" he cursed, sweeping Kagome up into his arms. He raced back to the others, waking them rudely but not caring. "Damn it!" he cursed again, louder this time. He almost made to set Kagome down and then thought better of it. Instead, he started pacing back and forth with her still in his grasp while he cursed louder and louder. Surprisingly, Kagome did not struggle. She seemed content to merely stay there.

Sango sat up from where she'd been sleeping and looked over at who had woken her. Immediately the remains of sleep left her body as she saw who Inuyasha was holding. "Sesshoumaru..." she breathed.

At the sound of his brother's name, Inuyasha spun angrily towards her. "That bastard..." he began but he was too angry to continue talking. His body shook with rage. "That bastard..."

Kagome slowly came back to herself more and more. She placed her hand on Inuyasha's face and he looked down at her, his eyes shining his concern. "Put me down, Inuyasha," she said softly. "I'm okay. He didn't hurt me."

Inuyasha growled and refused to put her down. If anything, he held on to her even tighter than before. "That bastard..." he said again.

By then Sango had awoken Miroku and both were watching Inuyasha pace with a flustered looking Kagome in his arms. She kept looking to them, asking for help, but the two were too dumbfounded by the possessive Inuyasha. Everyone knew he cared, but he had never outwardly shown it before. Then Inuyasha stopped and turned to face them, adjusting Kagome in his arms but making no move to release her. "What does that bastard want?!" he demanded to know.

Miroku, always the levelheaded in the group, stepped forward and raised his hand. "A very good question, Inuyasha, but one answered better without anger. Put Kagome down. She is not going to leave you. And I doubt Sesshoumaru would try to take her from you now. He has not directly confronted us and as long as Kagome is in your sight she is safe."

"That bastard is out there!" Inuyasha yelled. "Laughing at me!"

"I find it hard to picture Sesshoumaru laughing," Miroku replied dryly. The daiyoukai was well known for his cold heart. "And I do not sense his presence."

"Doesn't mean he isn't there," Inuyasha countered, his eyes sweeping the surrounding trees. He tightened his hold on Kagome even more, ignoring her startled squeak.

"Perhaps it would serve us all to return to Kaede's," Miroku observed, "While the Lady Kagome can still breathe."

Inuyasha's eyes shot down to where he was holding her. He relaxed his grip slightly and then nodded his head. "I'll meet you there," he muttered. Then he shot off into the darkness with a still squeaking Kagome in his arms struggling to break free.

***


	3. Chapter 3

** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **

~ Chapter Three ~

INUYASHA moved faster than Kagome had ever seen him before, racing tirelessly through the forest. Kagome resigned herself to the fact that Inuyasha wasn't about to put her down as they were less than a day's travel from Edo. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. He was moving so smoothly and she felt so safe, she fell asleep almost immediately.

Without the others to slow him down, Inuyasha reached the village just as dawn was breaking across the sky. When he finally slowed to a walk, he glanced down at the woman cradled in his arms. _Kagome_, he thought. _Why you?_

He had sensed a change in her. It hadn't happened slowly or over time. It had just happened. One day she was the same girl he'd come to know and the next she was just different somehow. He still wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but he knew he didn't like it—especially since it seemed to involve Sesshoumaru.

Making sure not to awaken the sleeping miko in his arms, he darted around the village and found a safe place from which to sit. High in the branches of a concealing tree, he watched the land around him, keeping his senses on high-alert. When Kagome finally stirred from her slumber, she opened her eyes and looked up at him in confusion. Then the confusion passed as she remembered what had happened and why he was holding her. "Kagome?"

"Hey, Inuyasha," she answered, her voice still sounding sleepy. "Are we there yet?"

He nodded his head yes. "I didn't want to wake you."

_How considerate,_ she thought. Then she noticed that they were up in a tree. "Why are we up in a tree?"

"It's safer," was his only reply.

"Can we get down now?" Kagome pressed when he made no motion to move.

Inuyasha's arms tightened momentarily around her. Then he shook his head no. "Not yet."

"Why? We need to speak with Kaede."

"I...I just want to hold you a bit longer," he answered, a blush rising on his face.

Kagome turned her head into his chest to hide her smile. How long had she wanted something like this to happen between her and Inuyasha? Keeping her face averted from him, she nodded her head in acceptance and settled into his embrace even further. "Where are the others?"

"They'll be here soon."

"We should wait to speak with Kaede until they arrive," Kagome then announced, trying to give him the validation he needed to hold on to her longer.

He nodded his head in agreement, but said nothing more. Kagome lifted her head and looked around her hoping to see something to talk about as she'd never been one to stay silent for long. Unfortunately there was nothing to see but the tree they were in and the only thing she could think to talk about, since leaves weren't very invigorating to the mental synapses, was their current predicament. "So, Inuyasha, what do you think is going on?"

"How the hell should I know? Nothing that bastard does makes any sense."

His body had tensed underneath her. Kagome wasn't sure if it was because he _did_ know what was going on or if it was because they were talking about Sesshoumaru. Deciding not to press the matter, she leaned her head against him and breathed deeply. As always he smelled like the nature he lived in: wild, untamed, and free. There was a strength within him that attracted her and she knew he would always be there for her even if he did not want to admit it. They were tied. Their fates were intertwined by the Shikon no Tama. Whether or not life would turn in the direction she wanted, Kagome couldn't say, but she knew that Inuyasha would always be a part of her. "I didn't dream again," she told him, wanting to ease the stiffness he'd acquired. "No nightmares for once."

Inuyasha nodded his head, but said nothing in return. Kagome sighed. "I think it was because you were holding me."

His amber eyes seemed to be focused on something she couldn't see. The only way Kagome knew he'd heard her was by the slight reassuring squeeze of his hands. "Fine, Inuyasha. Don't talk," she muttered. Then she laid her head back against his chest and rested, listening to the sound of his quiet and steady heart.

***

Inuyasha knew the instant the others had arrived. Without a word to Kagome he jumped down from the tree and landed with ease on the hard ground. After adjusting his hold on her, he darted towards them. While the others were looking more than a little tired from their disturbed rest and long run, they all seemed relieved to see Kagome still safely tucked away in Inuyasha's arms.

Kagome gave them a wide smile, to let them know that she was fine. "Can you tell him to put me down now?' she pleaded, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

Miroku glanced at the hanyou. "I think perhaps Inuyasha enjoys having you in his arms, Kagome." The answering blush from both parties was all he needed to let his lecherous grin spread. Moving out of Sango's reach, he nodded his head thoughtfully. "Yes, yes. I think he does."

"Monk," Inuyasha growled. "Now is not the time."

Kaede was not in her home when they walked into Edo. Inuyasha sent a silent command towards Sango and Miroku and then proceeded to walk inside. He settled himself down against the wall, still holding Kagome in his arms. Shippou followed in after them, choosing to sit near Kagome instead of in her lap as he usually did. Something about the way Inuyasha was holding her told him the hanyou would not like his additional presence. "Inuyasha," Kagome grounded out when she tried to stand and he held her back. "This has gone far enough."

"No."

"Inuyasha, do not make me say it!"

He smirked at her, the first time he'd found something humorous since Sesshoumaru's appearance. "Go ahead, Kagome. You'll just be pinned right along with me."

Groaning, Kagome realized he was right. With the way he was holding her, if she said the sit command the necklace would force him down with her underneath him. While the thought of being underneath Inuyasha didn't bother her quite as much as it once would have, she had no desire to be caught in that position by the others. Besides, she didn't really want to have to sit him. "Will you let me go when Kaede gets here?"

"Maybe," he answered, grin still firmly in place as he knew it would rile her. He wanted her angry. He wanted her as angry as he was at the moment. If he couldn't have her angry over the same thing, it would be about something different.

Instead of getting upset with him, though, she just adjusted herself to be more comfortable. She leaned her head against his chest, seeming to enjoy the rise and fall of it as he breathed.

It was not long before Miroku and Sango walked in with Kaede and Kirara following behind them. The old miko glanced at Inuyasha sitting against the wall with Kagome clutched possessively against his chest, but said nothing about their position. She could tell that Kagome was more than a little flustered by the hanyou's actions.

Waiting until everyone was settled, Kaede looked towards Kagome. "Now might ye tell this old woman what has occurred?" she asked the silent group.

Kagome squeaked when Inuyasha gave her a sharp squeeze. "Get going, girl," he said sharply. "We ain't got all day. And you're getting kinda heavy."

"Inuyasha, please feel free to put me down whenever you want," Kagome grounded out before turning to face Kaede. She gave the older woman a wide smile, dismissing the one holding onto her so tightly and trying to make the situation she'd found herself in somehow lighter. "We had a run in with Sesshoumaru last night. Or, actually, I did."

"Ah," Kaede said with obvious understanding.

***

_She was standing in the middle of a large room cast in shadows. Her eyes could make out very little of what was around her, but she wasn't concerned about that. What caught her attention was the very male, very youkai presence that stood before her. Sesshoumaru wasn't dressed in his usual attire, adorned in a kimono Kagome had never seen before. His swords, as constant a companion as Jaken, were absent, but that did not make him any less dangerous. A shiver raced up her spine as their eyes connected. He inclined his head to her. "Come," he ordered._

_Kagome did not want to move, but her feet pushed forward without her consent until she was only a few feet away from him now. She looked down and realized they were bare, sinking into a thick rug that was softer than anything she'd ever felt before. Then her eyes raced up the form of the youkai before her and settled back onto his impassive face. His golden eyes widened and lengthened, a predator sighting his prey. Then she watched as his hand reached out and settled on her arm. His fingers were long and graceful, the claws sharp and ready. "Come," he ordered again, giving her a slight pull towards him._

_Involuntarily Kagome inched closer. She could feel the heat radiating from his body now and she had to lean her head back, exposing her neck to him, to keep contact with his eyes. "Why?" she asked once more._

_"You are my only," Sesshoumaru replied before running his hand down her arm to her wrist. He lifted her wrist to his mouth and sniffed delicately at her skin. His tongue flicked out, licking over the mark there. "You are my only," he repeated. _

_His voice was soft, pleasant. Kagome had never heard him speak in such tones before. "Your only what?" she asked just as softly as she watched his claw sink into her skin once more. Why was there no pain? _

_His tongue darted out to lick the blood away and his eyes closed. Kagome could sense that feelings of immense euphoria were running through his veins. The thought of the daiyoukai feeling anything other than the coldness that usually seemed to grip him almost made her smile. Then he released her wrist and raised his own to his lips. She knew what was coming, but she couldn't look away as he drew his own blood. Sesshoumaru held his wrist out to her in offering, the blood making a slow trail down his alabaster flesh. "Come," he commanded again._

_Kagome looked down at the wound and she licked her lips. Even though her entire body and mind was fighting against the pull of it, she leaned forward and placed her lips over his wound. His blood tasted so rich, so powerful. Even though her mind rebelled against such an action, she couldn't help herself as she tasted him. She could feel his satisfaction as she licked at the blood until the wound had sealed itself. Then she turned and looked expectantly up at him. The youkai lord had his eyes closed once more. A barely noticeable shiver raced up his form before he opened his eyes and looked into hers. Kagome felt as if she were on fire, the heat and intensity of his gaze was so strong. He leaned forward and placed his lips lightly upon her own and Kagome, instead of feeling shocked or amazed by the kiss, could only marvel at how soft and warm they felt. _

_Her eyes closed._

_When she opened them again they were standing in the field of white flowers once more. The full moon shone down upon them. A breeze crossed the field and Kagome felt it wrapping itself around her more so than any time before. She glanced down and wanted to let out a startled gasp as she realized she was naked. Her voice would not work, though. Neither would her hands move to cover herself. Her eyes shot to Sesshoumaru. He stood beside he, watching her, but she felt no shame. Then he raised his hand revealing a kimono similar in design to his own. He slipped it around her shoulders, covering her. Kagome could feel the silk sliding across her skin. "Why?" she asked again._

_The daiyoukai stared down at her for a long while. Then he stepped away and Kagome found herself wishing he would come back. There was a chill in the air. "You complete me," he answered. _

_T__here was such longing, such passion, in his eyes. Kagome had never seen the like and, knowing this was directed at her, she felt warmth spread across her._

***

Unlike the other times, Kagome woke with a soft sigh. Her hand reached up and ran across her lips. She could still feel his light touch to her skin and she glanced down to her wrist. The mark there seemed darker, if possible. Sitting up, she looked around Kaede's hut at her companions. Sango and Miroku were sleeping. Shippou and Kirara were curled up around each other. Kagome knew Inuyasha was outside, watching for Sesshoumaru. It had been more than a month since he had last come to her, but her friends were taking no chances. She was allowed to go nowhere by herself and she was grateful they were so concerned with her. Still, part of her wanted to resent their constant presence.

Knowing more sleep would be impossible, Kagome rose and went outside. Almost instantly Inuyasha was at her side, looking as concerned as always. For some reason, Kagome found herself missing the old Inuyasha, the brash and rude boy she'd freed from the God Tree. "You okay?"

"Uh huh. Just couldn't sleep anymore."

"The sun will be up soon," he said, making conversation. "Wanna watch it with me?"

"Sure," Kagome answered, looking for anything to take her mind off the dream she'd just had.

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, scooping her up against his chest. Then they both darted up into the tree he usually sat in while they were in the village. He settled her on the thick branch next to him and they watched as the new day began. It was a beautiful sight, the fingers of sunlight spreading across the deep green landscape. There was nothing like this anymore back in Tokyo. That thought made Kagome think of her mother, brother, and grandfather. It had been too long since she had seen them last and her mind was finally getting over her fear of going to the well. "I think I'm ready to go home," she said with another sigh.

Inuyasha looked at her for a long while. He had been trying to convince her to go home for so long now. Part of him was sure she was resisting just to get him back for all the times he had tried to keep her there with him. "You sure?"

Kagome nodded her head. "My fear of that place is ridiculous. It wasn't the well that scared me. It was Sesshoumaru."

At the mentioning of his half-brother's name, Inuyasha became tense. Kagome knew he thought he'd failed her by letting Sesshoumaru get near to her twice now. It didn't matter what Kagome said. Inuyasha wanted to suffer his conscious. That was part of the reason why Kagome was ready to go home. She was tired of being the object of Inuyasha's failure. Kaede hadn't been any more helpful with the matter either. Kagome had told her everything that had transpired between she and Sesshoumaru and the elder miko had been just as confused as she. "Perhaps ye should speak further with him?" Kaede had said after Kagome had finished her tale. That comment had not been taken well by any member of her group besides Kagome herself. And why had she been so accepting of the idea? She couldn't say.

"When do you wanna go?"

She couldn't help but notice that he seemed almost eager to get rid of her. That thought almost made her laugh. It was usually the other way around. "In a bit," she answered. "I'd like to say goodbye to the others."

Inuyasha just nodded his head and then turned his gaze to the surrounding forest. All night he'd had a feeling that something was near, but he couldn't pinpoint it. The feeling was driving him insane because he knew who it was. He just couldn't find the bastard! The sooner he got Kagome through the well the better. Sesshoumaru couldn't get to her there. No one but he and Kagome could pass through the well. And, Inuyasha admitted to himself, even though her being there meant the jewel shards would have to wait he would prefer to see her safe than at that bastard's mercy.

The others woke as the day progressed. Kagome fixed the morning meal and then she and Sango walked to the hot springs together. Once they were immersed in the water, Kagome told Sango about her decision. Sango seemed relieved almost. "Are you eager to get rid of me, too?" Kagome teased the older girl.

Sango stiffened. "Of course not, Kagome," she said in all seriousness before she realized her friend was teasing. "I would, however, appreciate some more of that chocolate you brought with you the last time. It was most delicious."

"Chocolate for us and ramen for Inuyasha," Kagome listed off on her fingers. "Cherry lollipops for Shippou, some beef jerky for Miroku and a new catnip toy for Kirara."

Her mind wandered, as it often did, as she sunk into a mental list of all the supplies she'd need to gather for her return--whenever that was. Inuyasha had made it very clear to her that he wanted her to stay in her own time until everything was sorted out, but Kagome wasn't sure how that was supposed to be done. It wasn't like Inuyasha would search out Sesshoumaru and demand answers from him. And even if he did, it wasn't likely that Sesshoumaru would give them. She suddenly became aware of Sango asking her something else and drew her mind back into the present.

They finished quickly and walked back to Edo. Inuyasha was waiting for them, looking as impatient as always. Miroku was sitting on the ground a short distance away, his eyes closed in meditation. Kirara and Shippou were racing around in circles, playing some game of theirs. When Kagome walked up to them, Shippou abandoned his game and jumped into Kagome's arms. "Kagome!" he squealed happily. Inuyasha's ears folded back at the sound, but, for once, he said nothing of the kit's high pitched scream. "Be sure to bring me back plenty of lollipops."

Kagome laughed. "I'd already planned on it, Shippou."

The kitsune jumped down a few minutes later and rushed back to play with Kirara. "Well," Inuyasha said gruffly. "Let's get going. The faster we get there, the sooner you can come back."

He turned, offering her his back, and Kagome automatically slipped into her usual place. She leaned her head in against his shoulders. The soft length of his hair brushed against her cheek and she sighed happily. Inuyasha heard the sound and looked questioningly at her over his shoulder. "You ready?"

"More than," Kagome answered.

With a final look at the others, Inuyasha bounded off towards the well. His gait seemed smoother than usual. It was almost as if he was taking great care not to jar her as he raced over the ground. Kagome was given little time to think over the action as he suddenly stopped and the well stood before them. She fought the shiver of remembrance that raced up her spine as she slipped down to the ground. Inuyasha handed her backpack to her and walked with her towards the well, his clawed hand wrapped securely around her arm as if he thought she'd try and run away. "I'm not going to run, Inuyasha," Kagome said, a little annoyed over the treatment.

Inuyasha glanced at her, about to say something, and then he stilled. His ears twitched, searching for something, and he sniffed the air. "What is it?' Kagome asked, her voice lowering. _Was it Sesshoumaru?_

After a minute, Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, it's nothin'," he answered before proceeding to reaffirm his grip on her arm and drag her towards the well. Once they reached it, he let go and looked at her expectantly. "Well? Get going."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh as this was so unlike Inuyasha. Before she left, though, she had to know something. "Inuyasha, you'll come for me soon, right?"

He looked exasperated. "Is your brain broken, woman?!" He gave her a good glare and folded his arms across his chest. "I said I'd come and get you when I'm sure it's safe."

"Safe? Here?" Kagome thought of all the times she'd almost been killed and wanted to laugh again. She knew Inuyasha would not see her laughter for what it was, though, and held her tongue. "There is nothing safe here. Nothing but you, Inuyasha."

His anger seemed to melt at her words and he drew her close to him. Kagome relished the feel of his arms encircling her, holding her tightly against him. This was so unusual, but she wasn't about to spoil the moment. She'd been wanting this for as long as she could remember. "Kagome," he said softly, but he did not continue.

She felt him stiffen against her again and she looked up into his face. His eyes were focused on something off in the distance again. She turned her head, her hands still clutching the front of his fire rat robes, but could see nothing. The next thing she knew, Inuyasha was scooping her up in his arms and dumping her over the side of the well. "Stay!" he shouted down at her.

Kagome wanted to retort that she wasn't the dog there, but her voice was cut off by the magic of the well. The familiar blue light surrounded her and she was home again.

***

Sesshoumaru felt himself flinch. The reaction was so new that it took him a moment to realize he had done it. Stopping in his tracks, he paused and thought over the occurrence. Then his mind turned to the miko and he knew immediately why it had happened. She was going to well. She was going to try and leave him.

Fury unlike anything he had ever felt before rose within him, but Sesshoumaru controlled it. Outwardly, if any were to look upon him, they would see no change in his appearance. "Jaken."

"Yes, my lord?" Jaken replied with a low bow.

"Stay here and watch Rin."

Not waiting for a reply, Sesshoumaru shot off into the tree line. His body was a blur as he moved towards the Bone Eater's well. He and his followers were several days travel from the well, patrolling a portion of his lands, but the space between he and she was nothing to a youkai of his abilities. In an instant, almost, he was standing before the clearing. He arrived just in time to see Inuyasha throw the miko into the well, ordering her to stay. He even caught the sound of her rebuttal before it was cut off by the power concealed in the ancient well.

Inuyasha spun around to face him then. Taking a large, bold step forward, his hand withdrew the Tessaiga, willing the fang to transform. "Sesshoumaru," he growled.

Sesshoumaru looked at the half-breed with disgust. His eyes became lined with crimson as the fierce rage he'd first felt burned even brighter. "Where is the miko?"

"Gone," Inuyasha answered with relish. "Far out of your reach, bastard."

"I am not the bastard here, half-breed," Sesshoumaru snarled. He withdrew Toukijin, the sword sparked with its own animosity as it sensed the anger brewing within its handler.

"What the hell do you want with her anyway, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha demanded, ignoring his half-brother's previous words. He really wanted to know so he could settle the matter. He and Miroku had discussed this to great length while Kagome and Sango had been bathing. As much as he hated talking to Sesshoumaru, Miroku had finally convinced him that this was the only way to see to Kagome's safety. In fact, he'd been hoping that Sesshoumaru would show up here when he'd taken Kagome to the well. That was why he hadn't wanted anyone else to accompany them. He could focus more on Sesshoumaru without having to worry about anyone else getting in the way. "She's human, in case you've forgotten."

Sesshoumaru stared at the half-breed. It was obvious Inuyasha was forcing himself to hold back his human side, his emotions. Normally the hanyou charged first and asked questions later-- if he thought to ask at all. This new attempt at being civil, if one such word could ever be applied while thinking of Inuyasha at the same time, was out of character. It had to be because of the miko. Inuyasha had a strong tie to the girl. He protected her, cherished her, and maybe even loved her. Wanting to goad his half-brother, Sesshoumaru answered with a scathing tone. "Know your place, half-breed. The actions of this Sesshoumaru do not have to be explained to you."

"I do know my place, Sesshoumaru. That's by Kagome's side and anything having to do with her involves me," Inuyasha retorted, his voice level but his grip tightening on his sword.

Surprised that his words had not carried on to the desired effect and of the sudden possessive nature that had risen within him, Sesshoumaru stopped himself before he growled at the half-breed. Such displays were beneath him. "The miko is no longer your concern."

"Like hell, you bastard. Kagome wants nothing to do with you and I'm here to make sure it stays that way!"

Knowing it would anger his brother, Sesshoumaru allowed his lips to curve in a half smile, baring his fangs in an obvious challenge. "Oh, she wants plenty to do with me, little brother," he said, the venom undisguised as the word brother came to his lips. "She cannot help herself."

Inuyasha's boiling anger immediately rose to the surface. Whatever holds he'd held it back with had snapped. "What'd you do to her, Sesshoumaru?!"

Inuyasha took a threatening step forward, but Sesshoumaru remained where he was standing. The half-breed was no threat to him. He was merely an annoyance. "Nothing that she did not want, dear brother. She is mine. You will fetch her and bring her to me. Now."

Inuyasha laughed harshly. "Like hell I'll do anything you tell me to, bastard!"

"Very well then," Sesshoumaru replied, his eyes bleeding fully red. "You shall die."

\/ mo\/


	4. Chapter 4

** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **

~ Chapter Four ~

KAGOME cursed the rash foolishness of hanyous. When Inuyasha had first started hugging on her she'd dropped her bag. Then, in his haste to throw her down the well, he hadn't allowed her the time to get it and _now _it was still five-hundred years in the past!

Sighing to herself, she guessed that keeping the bag might have been a devious plot of his to come and visit her. Then she remembered who she was thinking of plotting deviously and laughed to herself. Inuyasha had more of an "in your face" kind of personality. He couldn't help himself. It was his nature.

Convincing herself it was worth the yelling Inuyasha was going to give her, Kagome climbed out of the well and then promptly turned and jumped back in again. She needed her bag, she told herself. That was why she was going back right away. It wasn't because the mark on her wrist was suddenly burning with rage…and she knew that it wasn't _her _anger she was feeling.

The blue light engulfed her once more and then Kagome's feet touched down onto the bottom of the well. Immediately she sensed Sesshoumaru's aura and heard his words. Gasping, Kagome yelled out that she was there, that Inuyasha didn't have to die, but the sound of swords striking each other overshadowed the sound of her voice. She could feel that Sesshoumaru knew she was there, but she could also feel that he didn't care. She had disobeyed him and this was to be her punishment.

Dread swelling within her, Kagome climbed out of the well as fast as she could. Above her the ground shook as Inuyasha unleashed the wind scar.

***

At the sound of battle, Sango stiffened. Reaching for her Hirakotsu, she was surprised when Miroku reached out and stopped her. She looked to him in askance and he shook his head no. "Inuyasha and I have spoken on this. He does not want us to interfere."

"This isn't about him. This is about Kagome."

"Kagome is safe in her own time now, Sango. So this has everything to do with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru."

Shippou jumped up onto Miroku's shoulder and nodded his head in agreement. His voice sounded so much older than his childish appearance. "He doesn't want us to get in the way. We'd only be a distraction."

There was a flash of light in the distance she recognized as the wind scar. Sango growled. "And if the well is destroyed? How is Kagome to get back?"

Knocking the monk's hand away, she latched onto her weapon and hefted it over her shoulder. Kirara's flames burned as she transformed into her larger size and Sango hopped onto the fire cat's back. She gave the monk one last meaningful look and Miroku reluctantly, for once, climbed on Kirara behind her. "Shippou," he said. "Stay here."

Shippou wasn't even given time to nod his head before Kirara took to the sky.

***

Sesshoumaru struck out at him with blinding speed and it was all Inuyasha could do to block his strikes. His brother wasn't playing this time around. "Tell me why it's her," he demanded as he blocked another attack.

Sesshoumaru snarled and did not answer. It wasn't his place to inform his brother of anything. When Inuyasha released the wind scar, Sesshoumaru used Inuyasha's attack to his advantage. The half-breed still had little finesse when it came to handling their father's fang. He always left himself open after the attack. This might do against lesser opponents, but he was Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, and there were no opponents greater than he.

Moving too fast for the human eye to follow, Sesshoumaru darted in past the blazing light of the wind scar and slashed out with his sword. Inuyasha barely managed to block the main force of his blow, but Toukijin slid down the fang and sliced deeply into Inuyasha's arm. With grace, as always, Sesshoumaru spun, circling the hanyou and placing himself between the half-breed and the ancient well. He knew the miko was within its depths. He had heard her cry out upon her return, begging for the half-breed's life, but he was beyond caring. She had disobeyed him and such actions were not to be taken lightly.

Inuyasha spun to face him and Sesshoumaru smirked. "Are you going to destroy the miko's precious well, little brother?" he asked as the foolish hanyou raised his blade to once again release the wind scar.

Kagome's scent reached his nose them and Inuyasha felt his heart stop within him. She was back, but why? Did the stupid girl never listen?! "If it will keep you from her, then so be it!"

"You are a fool."

Sesshoumaru released Toukijin and the sword flew with perfect precision. Embedding itself into Inuyasha's shoulder, he smiled at the sound of his brother's pained cry. The force of the blow sent Inuyasha flying backwards, leaving a bloody gouge in the earth, but the half-breed refused to fall. In an instant, Sesshoumaru was standing before him, his hand glowing with the strength of his acid. He swiped at Inuyasha's midsection, leaving a glowing trail of deep gouges across his brother's body. Inuyasha's fire rat robes were the only thing that kept Sesshoumaru's claws from splitting him in half.

Weakened but not beaten, Inuyasha swiped out with his own claws. Sesshoumaru was determined, though, and when he wanted something he made sure he received it. "Too slow," he snarled. He easily stepped out of the half-breed's reach and then struck back with his own. The feeling of the hanyou's flesh tearing beneath his claws was more than satisfying as a second set of marks glowed green on the hanyou's abdomen. Then he grabbed hold of Toukijin, twisting the sword viciously as he withdrew it.

Hearing the miko near the top of the well, Sesshoumaru's smile widened. "This ends now, half-breed."

***

When Kirara neared the site of the battle, Sango's trained eye took in the land around them. There were deep gouges in the earth from where Inuyasha had unleashed his wind scar. She could tell that Inuyasha was hurt badly. The amount of blood spilling from him was darkening his fire rat robes and slowly pooling on the ground where he stood facing off against Sesshoumaru. The battle had to be serious as it had just started and already Inuyasha was bleeding this profusely. In the past Sesshoumaru had always chosen more to play with Inuyasha than seriously attack him.

Just as she was about to unleash her Hirakotsu, a touch from Miroku drew her attention to the well. There, climbing out of the well's depths, was Kagome. "No," Sango breathed. "Kirara! Down. Now!"

Kirara dove for the well with all the speed she possessed. In a second, with trained grace, Sango flew off the fire cat's back and stopped in front of the well. Her hand reached out and pulled Kagome the rest of the way out as Miroku and Kirara took defensive positions between them and Sesshoumaru. "What are you doing here?" Sango demanded to know.

Kagome wished with all her might that she had her bow with her, but she hadn't thought to take it. She never did when she returned home because Inuyasha was always there to protect her. At the thought of the hanyou, her eyes turned to where Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were standing. She gasped when she saw the blood pooling at Inuyasha's feet. "No!" she screamed and tried to move towards her friend.

Sango gripped Kagome with a surprisingly strong hold and held her back. Then Miroku and Kirara blocked her view entirely. "No!" she said again. "We can't just let him die!"

Kagome could feel herself being pushed back towards the well by her friend and she knew Sango only had her best interest in mind, but she couldn't--wouldn't--let Inuyasha die. "No!" she screamed again, somehow managing to twist out of Sango's firm hold.

She dashed forward, but was stopped by Miroku this time. The monk gave her a hard look, one she had almost never seen on his face. "Do not belittle our friend's actions, Kagome. Go while you can."

Sesshoumaru heard the monk's words and, using Toukijin as if it were his own hand, he backhanded Inuyasha, sending the half-breed flying. He turned, not bothering to see where the half-breed landed, and faced those who would dare to try and take what was his. When they noticed he was facing them, the monk pushed the struggling miko back behind him and raised his staff before him. "You will not take her!" he shouted.

He did not spare the monk words. Stabbing Toukijin into the ground to free his one hand, he gave a flick of his wrist, bringing forth his light whip. The length of his youki shot between the monk and the fire cat and wrapped easily around the miko's neck. A jerk of his hand sent the girl flying back towards him before any of her companions could even comprehend what had occurred. Her body struck against his own with a jarring thud. Sheathing his sword while the miko tried to regain the breath his actions has knocked out of her, he wrapped his hand around the miko's throat, his claws lightly puncturing the skin and bringing her blood to the surface. "Move and she dies."

Instantly the three before him stilled and Sesshoumaru almost smirked at their gullibility. They were all as truly idiotic as he had thought if they believed he would actually kill the miko, but then Inuyasha had more than likely not told them why he was suddenly so interested in the girl--if the half-breed truly understood at all.

Hearing Inuyasha stir behind him, he tightened his grip on the miko and moved to stand him. The force of his blow had sent the hanyou flying up against the thick trunk of a tree. A trail of blood followed his trail down to the ground where he now lay, a reverted Tessaiga a few feet away.

Sesshoumaru allowed his still crimson eyes to show his pleasure when the half-breed's eyes opened and Inuyasha saw Kagome in his reach. He knew threats of killing the girl would not work where Inuyasha was concerned, but threats of harming her would. After all, it wasn't her body that interested him at the moment and the mongrel knew it. "Follow and she will be made unrecognizable," he said, his voice easily letting the hanyou know the truth he spoke.

He jumped back effortlessly away from her companions, still keeping his grip on the miko by her throat. She made no move to struggle against him. Her tear-filled eyes were focused only on the half-breed who was still fighting to rise. Knowing her feelings towards his brother, Sesshoumaru used them to his advantage. He leaned down, placing his mouth beside her ear. He allowed his lungs to fill with her scent once more but then realized it had been too long since he'd been this physically close to her. The need to indulge himself was almost overpowering. The scent of her, so close, and the feel of her pressed against him, aided in soothing the raging anger that had taken hold of him. He whispered, so low that only she could hear him, "I gift you with his life, miko. To show your gratitude you will not fight against me."

Kagome nodded her head weakly, feeling his claws sink slightly further into her throat as she moved.

Satisfied that the miko was under his control for the time being, he formed his youki cloud underneath them and took to the air.

***

It took all of their combined strength and Miroku's sutras to hold Inuyasha back. The hanyou was determined to go after Kagome, but they all knew he needed to heal first. "Inuyasha!" Miroku finally yelled in exasperation. "You need to allow yourself time to heal! Have you forgotten that tonight is the new moon?"

He hadn't forgotten. That was one of the reasons why he'd been pushing Kagome to go back to her own time. If Sesshoumaru tried to take her while he was stuck in his human form, there was nothing he could do to stop him. As much as he'd tried to hide the fact that the new moon was his night of weakness, a part of him knew Sesshoumaru was already aware of this. He'd been feeling like the bastard was moving closer for some time now and he just knew Sesshoumaru would try and take Kagome on that night. "It doesn't matter," he said gruffly as pain shot through his body. Sesshoumaru's acid was still eating away at his flesh and every move he tried to make pushed more blood through the gaping hole in his shoulder. "Now get these damn things off me!"

"You are no good to her dead, Inuyasha," Miroku said before slamming his staff down onto his friend's head.

Remarkably the half-breed was not knocked out right away. Adrenaline was still coursing through his body and he managed one last glare and curse towards the monk before passing out. Letting go a relieved sigh, Miroku turned to Sango. Kirara came up behind them with Kagome's bag in hand. "Thank you, Kirara," Sango said as she turned to fetch the bag.

He couldn't help himself as his hand reached out to stroke the beautiful backside bared to him by her actions. Sango stiffened at the touch, growling low in her throat. _Did the man ever take a situation seriously?! _

Taking Kagome's bag in hand and feeling the weight of it, she smiled to herself and swung it around, making sure to catch the monk on the side of his head with it. Miroku stumbled back with a bemused smile on his face and crumpled down onto the ground near Inuyasha. "Now isn't the time, monk," she said as she settled down next to Inuyasha, not caring that Miroku was beyond hearing her.

Opening Kagome's bag, she removed the first aid box. She then opened Inuyasha's robes and almost cried when she saw the damage Sesshoumaru had done. How a member of one's own family could do this to another was beyond her, but much of the ways of youkais she found perplexing even though she'd been studying them all her life. "Oh, Kami," she breathed, wishing she had not so soundly knocked the monk out. "Kirara, we have to get Inuyasha back to Kaede's. I'm going to need your help."

The fire cat gave a mewl that said so much without having to say anything at all. Laying down next to Inuyasha and allowing Sango to use her body as leverage, Kirara waited until Inuyasha was pushed atop her before rising again. Sango took Kagome's pack with her and straddled her faithful friend's back, one hand holding Inuyasha in place. She glanced at Miroku, who was still passed out. _He'll know where we've gone_, she thought before urging Kirara to go.

***

There wasn't much they could do with his wounds. Sango helped Kaede clean them with water and pack the deep cuts across his abdomen with an herbal paste to hopefully negate Sesshoumaru's poison. They used the bandages Kagome had in her first-aid kit to cover them. Kaede cleaned and stitched the deep cut on Inuyasha's arm and, while Sango bandaged his arm, she then turned to the gaping hole on his chest. Kaede was examining it, seeing what she could do, when Miroku walked in with a teary eyed Shippou on his shoulders. Sango gave the monk only a brief glance before looking back to Kaede. "What can be done?" she asked. She knew the wound on his chest was by far the worst he had suffered.

"Tis hard to say," Kaede began, her focus on Inuyasha's chest. "With his youkai blood, this wound would pose little problem to Inuyasha. It would just take time to heal."

"But there is a new moon tonight," Miroku finished. "Do you think Sesshoumaru realized this?"

Sango's fist clenched at the mention of Inuyasha's half-brother. She had lost too much in this life to take what had occurred in any other way. Kagome was the sister she never had, taking the place of the family she had lost, and Inuyasha had wormed his own way into her affections. This group of people was her life now and she would not see them torn apart. "Forget about him," Sango said, using her anger to give her strength. "We focus on Inuyasha now and, when he is healed, we will find Kagome and get her back."

Miroku knew very well what was going through Sango's mind at that moment. The pain of remembered loss was palpable. Knowing there was nothing he could say to ease her pain, he laid his hand reassuringly on her shoulder, all lecherous thoughts aside for the moment. Then Inuyasha groaned softly, slowly waking. His eyes shot open all of the sudden and he immediately tried to rise. Thankfully the sutras were still on his person. Miroku moved down to crouch next to Sango. "Be still," he ordered.

Inuyasha's glare was constant. His eyes stayed focused on the two people he didn't think would hold him back but who he also knew would. _Did he make any sense to himself? _Shaking his thoughts away, he said the one name he knew would get a reaction. "Kagome." They stiffened before him and he sensed their upset. "Why'd you let her go like that? You didn't even try to stop him!"

Kaede, realizing that the three companions needed time to themselves, quietly slipped out. She would go and pray for Kagome's safety.

Sango shook her head sadly. Inuyasha must not have heard what Sesshoumaru had said. "He said he'd kill her, Inuyasha," she answered softly, her anger losing focus and strength, being drowned out by the sorrow in her friend's eyes. "Do you seriously think we're willing to risk her like that?"

"And what do ya think he's doin' to her right now?!"

Miroku knew that Inuyasha was aware of a lot more than he was letting on to. It had been readily apparently when they had spoken earlier that day and in Inuyasha's strange behavior since Kagome's first meeting with Sesshoumaru. The hanyou's inability to trust anyone, besides Kagome, seemed to still be an issue, however. "He obviously wanted her alive," Miroku observed. "For what, we still do not know. Or do we, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha stilled. If anything, his glare grew in its ire. "What are you sayin', monk?"

"Perhaps there is something we have missed is all that I am remarking upon."

"You're blaming me," Inuyasha spat out. "Both of you are blaming me for all this. It's not my fault! I told that stupid girl to go home and stay there! I threw her down the well! It's her fault this happened! She's the one that came back like the idiot she is!!"

"Kagome's not an idiot!" Shippou yelled from over in the corner.

They had forgotten about the little kitsune in their rush to tend to Inuyasha. Shippou was now curled up on top of Kagome's backpack, burying his nose into it to capture her scent. Tears streamed down his face as he thought of the loss of another he knew. While this was nothing like what had happened with his parents, it was a loss all the same. "Shippou," Miroku said to the little kitsune. "Inuyasha is hurting just as much as everyone else right now. We shall not take his words to heart." Then he turned back to face Inuyasha. "No one is blaming you for what happened, Inuyasha. You did everything you could."

"And it still wasn't enough."

Inuyasha laid his head back, closing his eyes. Silence descended upon the group except for an occasional sniffle from Shippou. Every once in a while a shudder would rack Inuyasha's body, but he was not paying attention to the pain he was in. His mind was focused entirely on Kagome and of seeing her in his brother's clutches, her blood blossoming around Sesshoumaru's claws where they were pressed against her vulnerable neck. Sesshoumaru's words kept circling in his mind. _Follow and she will be made unrecognizable_. Then there was the fact of her change in scent. It wasn't overly remarkable, but there was a difference. There just wasn't enough of a difference to cause concern. He'd just credited it to the fact that Kagome was under a lot of stress at the moment, what with her constant nightmares about his brother.

Guilt was the worst of his festering wounds. He had to do something, but he didn't know what. Opening his eyes, he looked over at his companions. They meant almost as much to him as Kagome, but he wasn't about to let them know that. "You should see if you can pick up Sesshoumaru's trail," he said somewhat calmer now, breaking the silence. "Before nightfall."

"But he said he'd kill her if we attempted to follow," Sango replied, hesitation in her voice.

"He was bluffing, that bastard. Didn't want you keeping him from his prize. Sesshoumaru doesn't want her dead. He needs her alive."

"Why?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha shook his head no. He wasn't entirely sure of the why and what he did suspect he didn't want to be true. "Just try and find her. I'll stay here and heal," he added, his voice laced with sarcasm, "But tomorrow these damn sutras come off one way or another."

"I'll go," Miroku said. "And take Kirara and Shippou with me. They're abilities are well beyond mine and they may sense something I cannot."

Sango did not look away from Inuyasha's pained expression. She only nodded her head. A few minutes later Miroku left and they were alone. She kept her gaze focused on Inuyasha's face. "Kagome means almost as much to me as she does to you, Inuyasha," she said quietly. "Please tell me what you know. I want her back as much as you do, but we can do nothing for her if we do not understand what might be happening. Anything you know would be of help."

Inuyasha sighed and nodded his head in acceptance. Even though he was still fighting with himself against the idea, he had to tell them. If it meant it could help Kagome, he couldn't keep his ideas to himself any longer.

***

_She was flying. Her body effortlessly floated through clouds, chilly against her bare skin. Slowly she felt herself descending and spied the field of flowers below her. As she neared the ground her feet came up underneath her and Kagome landed lightly upon the earth. Above her the moon hung full and she wondered why it was always that way in her dreams._

_Knowing that Sesshoumaru would make his appearance soon, Kagome readied herself. The air felt ominous with unsaid anger and she felt him long before she saw him. Turning to face the direction he was coming at her from, she raised her head up defiantly as he neared. _

_She vaguely remembered the warmth and longing that had been in his eyes before and felt herself wishing that it was so now. They were instead glowing red with anger and the burn of them only seemed to increase the nearer he drew. As much as she wanted to turn away, Kagome found she could not. In her dreams she was his and did as he desired and, at that moment, he desired her to stay in place and take his wrath. _

_When he stood less than an arm's length away from her, Sesshoumaru stopped. His silent visage stared down at her and she could see so much more in his eyes than words could ever say. He was furious with her. _

_His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist painfully. Raising her arm up, she watched as his claw sunk into the crescent mark and she found herself distracted from the daiyoukai before her. For some reason, she recalled at that moment in time, that'd she'd never once told anyone about it. Why?_

_A sudden pain brought her back to Sesshoumaru. She looked at her wrist and realized that, for the first time, he was hurting her in his actions. "That hurts," she said simply, sounding stupid to her own ears._

_"You disobeyed me," he replied, his voice even. "You shall pay the consequences."_

_Even though his claw sunk no deeper into her skin, the pain increased and Kagome found herself falling to her knees, involuntarily driven there by the agony of whatever he was doing to her. "Stand," he ordered. "Stand and take what you deserve."_

_She didn't want to. She didn't want this to be happening to her. She didn't want to be in this place. She didn't want this! Shaking her head, fighting back the tears filling her eyes, Kagome tried to take in a ragged breath as the continued pain once more drove the air from her lungs._

_Sesshoumaru jerked her arm up higher, forcing her to rise. He lessened his grip around her slightly, then, and Kagome raised her eyes to look at him once more. "I do not enjoy this," he told her, his eyes still bleeding red and his voice rough. "But you must learn."_

_He suddenly released her arm. Then his hand shot out, hitting her across the face. The force of his blow, backed by the strength of his kind, sent her flying through the air, much as she had been in the beginning of this dream turned nightmare. _

_Kagome expected to land broken among the flowers, sending their petals up in a whirlwind of white, and was surprised when instead the scenery shifted in mid-flight. She closed her eyes against the haze surrounding her and, when she opened them again, she found herself standing waist deep in a steaming pool of water. Instinctively she knew Sesshoumaru was standing behind her. He moved closer, their bodies brushing against one another. She was naked once more, but so was he this time. "Turn," he ordered._

_She did as he asked, but she tried to fight herself the entire way. Once she faced him, her eyes meeting his bared chest sculptured by centuries of battling, she looked up into his eyes and found them rich with longing once more. His clawed hand reached forward and Kagome could not stop the flinch that came to her. His hand paused, momentarily, and then pressed onward. "You hurt me," she said, again sounding brain dead to herself. Why couldn't she speak more than simple thoughts in these dreams?_

_"It was necessary."_

_At least he was speaking more than he usually did. _

_His fingers stroked over her cheek where he had hit her and Kagome winced. His blow had been hard enough that every bone in her face should have shattered, but she felt no such pain. Then he nodded his head and she automatically held up her arm to him, palm up. The puncture he'd made in her wrist was still slowly leaking her blood. _

_Kagome watched, mesmerized, as Sesshoumaru placed his mouth against her wound and suckled. Before he had always been gentle in his attentions, but now he was not. She could feel the hard pull of his mouth against her skin, could feel a part of herself passing through the wound and connecting with him. The feelings were intense and only increased the longer he stayed connected with her. _

_When he finally broke away, she felt as if she would die without his touch._

Pain greeted her upon waking. She couldn't even remember falling asleep and moaned softly as the remembrances of what had happened came back to her in broken pieces, a mixture of reality and dream. Lifting her hand to her face, she realized two things. One, she was laying on the ground, and two, her face hurt as if it really had been hit. "The dreams are real," she said aloud, more to herself than to anyone who might be listening.

***


	5. Chapter 5

** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **

~ Chapter Five ~

OPENING her eyes, Kagome found that nothing but darkness greeted her. There was no warmth of a fire or light of the moon shining for her to see by. There was no breeze to tell her she was outside somewhere. Judging by the echo of her voice when she'd spoken aloud, she was in a room of some sort. The ground she was laying on was hard, packed dirt and hadn't seen water in some time. She was underground, but where?

Sitting up, she held her hand to her aching face. She was more than livid over being hit by Sesshoumaru, but, for some reason, she could not call that anger up to the surface. Still swimming in her dream world, Kagome's hand lowered from her face to automatically caress the marking on her wrist. Then something moved in the darkness. Throwing out her senses, she was both relieved and frightened to recognize the aura of what moved. "Sesshoumaru," she said into the darkness.

"Miko," he said from somewhere behind her.

She tried to follow him as he moved soundlessly around in the room they were in, but something about the walls dampened her abilities. Her searches bounced back at her, distorted and chaotic. He seemed to almost be everywhere at once. She felt weaker in this place, but she had never heard of something like this. "Where are we?"

"Where the half-breed cannot find you."

"He _will_ find me," Kagome shot back before she could think to stop herself.

There was only a brief pause before he answered her. "Your loyalty is commendable. Misplaced, but commendable."

It was a high compliment coming from Sesshoumaru, but Kagome couldn't help but find offense in his statement. Only he could give praise and insult in the same breath. While Kagome knew the insult was not against her, she took it as if it was.

He was moving around her in the darkness. It was almost as if he was stalking her, but he _was_ a predator by nature. Wherever they were, it had to be large enough to give him space to roam. As he spoke, his voice wavered in strength the farther away from her he was. Kagome knew, though, that no matter how far he wandered from her, his eyes were always turned in her direction. She could not see in this gloom, but he could. And he could do more than see. His intense senses could hear her heartbeat, the blood rushing through her veins, the sound of her breathing. He could taste her emotions on his tongue. It was intimidating, to say the least, but she wouldn't let him cow her like that. He may think himself the superior breed, but breeding wasn't everything. "Inuyasha is deserving of my loyalty," she said, staring into the direction she thought he was in at that moment.

His voice sounded from behind her. "How?"

_How?_ That was surely not what she had been expecting him to say. She had thought he'd reply with something degrading to her or about Inuyasha. "I love him," she said boldly. "He has always protected me and always cared about me, in his own way. He has strength of character and honor. Inuyasha has suffered so much and yet still he strives to live and live well."

Sesshoumaru decided to ignore her defense of the half-breed. What could she truly know of honor and suffering? "Love is a wasting emotion. It gains you nothing."

"It gains you everything. Love is strength," she argued.

"Your ideals hold no merit here, miko," he said from the opposite direction. "You will cease arguing with me."

Kagome reigned in her exasperation even though she knew Sesshoumaru was aware of it. Just because she was feeling it did not mean she was going to act on it. She was only human, after all, and couldn't control what she felt. "May I ask you a question, Lord Sesshoumaru?" she said, her voice sounding calmer than she was feeling.

He was amused by this young woman. Her loyalty was, without a doubt, most surprising. While he had always known how she felt towards his half-brother, he had never been in her presence long enough to see the strength of what she felt in its entirety. Yes, he'd seen her throw herself in front of danger--even in between himself and Inuyasha-- in defense of the hanyou, but he'd never paid her much attention then. She'd been only a minor inconvenience to his plans. When she spoke of the half-breed now, though, her aura flared with brightness all its own. Never had he seen another like hers. And when she mentioned love, it grew even brighter. Even though her aura was not a conscious light, he felt the need to shade his eyes from it. He had not even been witness to this while inhabiting her essence. Perhaps it was because their connection was so much stronger now than it had been previously?

When she tried to guard her emotions from him, he smirked into the darkness. While she could not see him, he could see her with perfect clarity. It was one of the reasons why he'd brought her to this place. He wanted to study her without her knowing. The cavern walls housed a unique substance that dampened mystical powers, as well. She would not have the strength to try and escape him should he have to leave her alone for a time.

Her long hair was tangled from their flight and the clothing she wore was dirtied. When she had not ceased being tense against him and her tensing had begun to chip away at the very fragile hold he had on his emotions, Sesshoumaru had released just enough of his poison into her skin to make her pass out. It was also, he secretly admitted to himself, to punish her without having to truly harm her. Defiance could not be ignored, but he didn't truly wish to injure her fragile body beyond repair. His anger at her was great and, if he just so happened to kill her, he might not be able to find her again if she died. And he did not wish to place his trust in Tenseiga where this girl was concerned. His father's fang had been vocal enough concerning his treatment of the miko thus far.

As she'd been asleep, he could see her reactions to the dream, could stroke her cheek just as he was doing so in her mind. When he'd punished her for her defiance and her head had been thrown to the side, he had even winced and felt something akin to guilt. Of course that was quickly brushed aside. What did he have to feel guilty about? The miko had earned this treatment.

Then, when his dream self had taken in her blood, he had done so, too. The taste had been more than exquisite and the fragrance of her, made stronger mixed with her blood, had almost been his undoing.

He'd heard her whispered words of realization when she'd awoken. Only now was she coming to realize how often they had held contact. While he did not have to sleep to invade her dreams, he was aware of them all the same. His youki, his energy, had been tied to the girl since the first time he'd bled her and given her some of his own. "You may ask your question," he said at last.

She did not pause to think over the question she wanted to ask. "Why did you say that I complete you?"

Sesshoumaru stilled. Of all the ones he had thought she'd ask he had not expected this one. He had thought her dreams would still remain unclear within her, with only fractions of them coming into her conscious mind, until the bond between them was more stable. The fact that she recalled this bit of information was impressive. He answered her question with one of his own. "What do you know of the philosophy of Yin-yang, miko?"

***

Inuyasha didn't know any other way to speak than to be blunt. Looking up at Sango's concerned face, he wondered how she'd take it. Then he didn't care just as long as it was out…now. "Sesshoumaru thinks that Kagome...holds the other half of his soul," he said, mumbling the last part.

Disbelief was the first thing on Sango's face. And it stayed there. Her mouth opened and then shut and then opened again. "What?" she finally managed to get out in a bare squeak of a voice.

"Daiyoukais are powerful," Inuyasha grounded out, not really wanting to speak about this at all but knowing he had no choice. "They mate, but their mates are never near to equal to them in power--which is what every daiyoukai looks for when they decide to take a mate. The stronger the mate, the stronger the pups that comes from it. It's not common, but every once in a while a daiyoukai will come across a female that matches them in strength. Perfectly. That's what Sesshoumaru thinks Kagome is."

"What?" she said again.

Inuyasha growled, annoyed with the slayer's obvious lack of understanding on the matter. "What's not to get?!" he yelled. "Sesshoumaru thinks Kagome is his perfect mate!" He didn't know any other way to get the point across to make the slayer understand.

"How can that be? She's a human. She's a miko," Sango said, sitting heavily down onto the floor in a manner most unlike herself. Her wide eyes continued to stare at Inuyasha. "That's not possible."

"How in the hell am I suppose to know how _that_ can be?! If I said it once I've said it a million times," he said, using one of Kagome's favorite expressions, "Nothing that bastard does makes any sense!"

"What would make him think that Kagome is his perfect mate?" the slayer asked, coming back into her senses and asking questions that he _might_ have an answer for.

"It's her scent," he mumbled.

"You never mentioned anything about her scent."

"I wasn't sure, okay! There was a difference, but it wasn't so much of one that I thought about it too much."

Inuyasha had turned away from her and Sango knew it was because his pride was hurting. He was admitting to have weaker senses than his brother and that hurt him. In some ways the brothers were a lot alike and pride was one them. "Shippou never mentioned anything about her scent changing."

"It's a breed thing," Inuyasha answered. "Shippou's a fox demon. He wouldn't be able to tell. And I could only tell because I'm part inu."

"But Sesshoumaru's been around Kagome before. Why did this happen now?"

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to admit again that he didn't fully understand what was going on. His features hardened. "I'm not even sure if this is right or not," he added. "That's why I've been wanting Kagome to go back to her own time. At least there she'd be safe from him."

"Unless he's already there," Sango added as an afterthought to Inuyasha's comment.

Inuyasha hadn't even considered that. While this type of mating wasn't that common or well known, it _was_ known that a daiyoukai had to live a long time before being able to find their perfect other half. If Sesshoumaru had lived to be alive during the same era as Kagome and he was still unmated to any other female, then he would have sensed Kagome as his match when her soul became compatible. The odds of a daiyoukai being able to withhold themselves from their natural instincts to procreate long enough were so rare, though. _But if anyone could do it_, Inuyasha thought with disgust, _it would be his bastard of a brother._"I never sensed him there," he mumbled. Of course, it wasn't like he had been all over Kagome's time period, either. She never really let him leave the shrine when he went back--or was it forward--with her.

"Okay," Sango said, taking a deep breath and trying to come to terms with what Inuyasha had just revealed to her. "Let us just say that this is what is happening. Sesshoumaru thinks Kagome is his perfect mate. Now that he has her, what is he going to do to her?"

"He'll bond with her through blood. Claiming her for his own."

Sango remembered vaguely something her father had once told her. There had been so much information that she'd learned in such a short time. Sometimes the small details or the facts she didn't use too often were harder to remember. "If he bonds with her through blood, is that like a mating mark?"

"This goes deeper than a normal youkai mating. This is their souls we're talking about, Sango. If Sesshoumaru kills Kagome, her soul won't die. It will just be reborn into someone else. Reincarnation and all. You're familiar with that, right?"

Sango shot Inuyasha a glare, but ignored his snide comment. "How deep does this bonding go, Inuyasha?" she asked, trying to hide the worry in her voice.

"As far as it can go," he answered gruffly.

He hated this. He hated talking about Kagome and Sesshoumaru like this. Kagome was his; always had been, always would be. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. There were no lengths he wouldn't go to. Yeah, he hadn't told her outright how he felt, but he knew that she knew. And he knew that Kagome loved him, just the way he was. That was something Kikyou hadn't done. Yes, at first he'd been confused on the whole matter. It wasn't every day you were presented with your reincarnated dead girlfriend with your original girlfriend walking around looking for all manner and purposes like she was still alive! And yes, he'd hurt Kagome numerous times with his inability to think things through, but that was the past, damn it! "If Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyou," Sango started, drawing him out of his thoughts, "Then why didn't Sesshoumaru sense Kikyou as his perfect mate?"

"Do I _look_ like I care about that right now?!"

Sango sighed, knowing Inuyasha was pushed beyond his limits where this was concerned, but neither did she care. It was Kagome they were talking about and she would break any barriers and knock down any walls put up against her where the strange girl from the future was concerned. It was just the power that was Kagome. She had a way of looking at people that just made them feel like they were shining and, when Sango had been at her lowest point, it was Kagome that had pulled her up from the depths. "I'm going to get Kaede."

"That's the best idea you've had yet," Inuyasha shot back at her angrily.

Clenching her hands into fists, fighting to need to smack some sense into Inuyasha's stubborn head, Sango stood angrily and marched out the door. Once she was gone, Inuyasha closed his eyes and knocked his head back against the floor several times. There was nothing else he could do. How could he save Kagome from this latest mess she'd gotten herself into? "I'm gonna kill him," he vowed aloud to the empty room. "No daiyoukai, no matter how powerful, can mate when they're dead."

***

"Yin-yang is the philosophy of duality," Kagome answered, "Of two opposing forces that are complimentary of each other, such as night and day. It is a base for almost all ancient Chinese philosophy and medicines."

He was impressed. He had not thought the miko would be able to understand what he was about to tell her. That was one of the reasons he had waited so long in taking her. Waiting for the bond between them to be stronger would allow him to lead her if she could not follow him. "You are correct."

For some reason, Kagome had the distinct feeling that Sesshoumaru had praised her again. Then she felt him move to stand before her. He reached down, grasping her arm, and pulled her up to her feet. She felt her body, still waking up from its dream state, obediently follow along with his silent demands. When she was on her feet once more, his hand ran lightly down her arm to encircle her wrist. His finger brushed slowly back and forth over the mark there, sending silent shivers radiating through her body. Kagome wanted to pull away from him, what he was doing was clouding her thinking, but when she tried he let loose a low growl. Even if she did not speak the language of an inuyoukai, she recognized that growl for what it was. It was a command that said there was danger in disobeying. And with her face still stinging from her earlier "dreamed" punishment, Kagome did not feel the need to bring more of his wrath down upon her. "Is your knowledge of youkai society as well versed as it is in the concept of Yin-yang, miko?" he asked.

His deep voice, spoken so softly, sent a chill up her spine. It had not sounded cold. It had not sounded angry. It had not sounded boastful or arrogant. The daiyoukai was merely curious. "No," she answered honestly. "I only know what Inuyasha and Sango have told me."

At the mention of the half-breed's name, her aura flared around her. He could tell that the miko was unaware of what was happening. She had such vast abilities within her and yet she barely knew them. It would be his pleasure to guide her into finding them, to mold her into the perfect complement of himself. Pushing out his own aura to dampen hers, he was pleased to see it touch his own tentatively and then recede. Push and pull. Such were the ways of Yin-yang. "Then I shall tell you what you need to know now, miko."

His finger brushed over her mark and she shivered noticeably again. When the daiyoukai continued to talk, there seemed to be a pleasured smile in his voice. "Daiyoukais are the strongest youkai in the land. We keep order amongst the lower forms, protect what is ours. It is instinct, which by our very nature is who we are, that drives us to seek a mate, but the mate of a daiyoukai must be strong. If the female is not strong enough, they will be crushed by our youki. While it is not possible to find a mate of equal strength whenever the instinct to mate comes upon us strongly, there are those females who might possibly be considered close to...acceptable. Once in a daiyoukai's life, however, there is a chance of finding the mate that is our equal. The human concept of this would a 'soul mate'. This mate would complement the daiyoukai on every level and be his equal in every way. A unity of opposites, as you said."

He could feel her confusion and denial through their bond. Her pulse was speeding up and slowing down as he spoke. She was finding comfort in his touch and in his voice. This was good. Still, she was not finding contentment. She was uneasy in his presence. But that he would change. Soon she would come to him for her everything. "Depending upon the breed of the daiyoukai, he will recognize his 'soul mate', to continue using the human term, in a way unique to his bloodlines. For an inu, whose sense of smell is keen, it is by smell."

"You speak as if there are only male daiyoukais," she said when he paused. Somehow she knew he was giving her a chance to ask whatever question she had for him.

"There are female daiyoukais, but this...occurrence...is strictly within the males. As I have said, an inu-daiyoukai will recognize his soul mate by smell. If the daiyoukai, no matter the breed, is already mated or set on another female, he will not be able to sense his 'soul mate'. Youkai mate for life. That is one reason why daiyoukais resist mating for so long. Each hopes to find his polar opposite. While this type of mating is beneficial in its own ways, it is rare to achieve because the driving instinct of a male daiyoukai is to continue his line."

As much as she understood what Sesshoumaru was telling her, she did not want to believe it had anything to do with her. She knew he could tell this by the way his stroking of her wrist increased. "Forgive me if I offer insult, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said hoping to forestall any coming abuse caused by her next words, "But am I to believe that you find _me_ to be your soul mate?"

"Yes, miko. You are."

When he spoke his voice had been empty. It had been as if he were speaking of the weather with her. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt her legs want to buckle underneath her. Suddenly his mokomoko-sama was wrapped around her, reminding her of another time that this had happened. It was still a cloudy recall in her mind, but she knew that this had happened before. Not to this extent in conversation, but it had. "But I'm human," she whispered. "How can I apply to a daiyoukai... occurrence?"

"Your humanity is still a fact that this Sesshoumaru is having trouble believing, miko, but I will tell you one fact I cannot disprove. One soul calls to another. Souls do not know the difference between races or breeds. I could not deny you," he told her, giving her the idea that she had some measure of control over him. It was entirely false, of course, but he did not need her fainting on him again. "Once my soul recognized who you were, miko, this one was tied to you…for better or for worse."

***

To say that he was feeling pain was an understatement. Inuyasha grimaced as Kaede forced him to drink another one of her foul concoctions meant to ease his now frail human body and then watched as she settled herself before the fire. Since he was in his human form, Miroku's sutras had no effect on him, but he couldn't move even if he wanted to. His body was under too much distress.

Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara had returned only after the sun had set. As he had expected, they had found no trace of Sesshoumaru or Kagome. Sesshoumaru was more than adapt at covering his tracks. If he did not wish to be found, he would not be. _At least not by anyone other than me_, he told himself.

Inuyasha only paid half an ear to what Sango was saying. She was only repeating what he'd said to her earlier. Judging by the look on the monk's face, Miroku was as surprised by what Sango was revealing as she had been when he'd told her. Kaede, on the other hand, showed only that she was listening patiently to the slayer's tale.

When Sango was finished speaking, everyone looked to Kaede in askance. Kaede looked towards Inuyasha. "Is what yon slayer speaks truth, Inuyasha?"

"How the hell should I know?" he shot back with a grimace.

"Ye are inuyoukai, if only part."

"As if I need you to tell me that, ya old hag."

"Inuyasha," Miroku said in warning. Then he looked to Kaede. "Lady Kaede, if what Inuyasha proposes is the truth, how can this be possible? Lady Kagome is mortal, human. She is not of youkai origins."

"Her body is mortal," Kaede agreed. "But we are not speaking of physical bodies. Yon Inuyasha speaks of the soul. Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister, Kikyou. Both Kagome's and Kikyou's ties to the Shikon no Tama lead me to believe that their soul is both ancient and powerful; coming from and may hap before even that of Midoriko. And Kagome's soul is large. Otherwise, she would not have been able to survive sharing her soul with Kikyou when my sister was reborn."

"And her strength would be great since she was able to call her soul back to her body," Miroku added thoughtfully, thinking of when Kanna had tried to suck out Kagome's soul with her mirror. He had not been present when Kikyou had been resurrected, but he and Kagome had spoken of that a few times, as well.

"Yes," Kaede agreed.

"This is all nice to know," Sango said irritably. "But how do we save her?"

"The child must save herself. This battle is not one of the physical, as I have said before."

"Surely there is something we may do," Miroku said before Sango could let loose her temper. He could tell the stress of everything was getting to her. Perhaps later he would allow her to take her frustrations out on him? He had always enjoyed strong, beautiful women.

"What if she don't wanna be saved?" This question came from Inuyasha and earned him more than one surprised look. "What?!" he yelled and then groaned when the action caused him further pain. "That bastard's had more than a month to fool with her mind—and right under my damn nose, too. What if she don't know what she's doin'?"

"What makes ye believe, Inuyasha, that Sesshoumaru would approach this without honor?"

"Cause he's a bastard!" Inuyasha replied, using his favorite phrase when addressing his half-brother. "He wants power, conquest. That's all he cares about. What better way to get it than by taking Kagome and making her his?"

"What ye are failing to perceive," Kaede added thoughtfully, "Is the power of this match. A perfect opposite balances. Where Sesshoumaru is hard, Kagome is soft. Where Sesshoumaru thrives for power, Kagome wishes for peace. Where Sesshoumaru is cold, Kagome is warmth."

"So you are saying that perhaps this connection is not entirely bad," Miroku finished for her.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat. Since he was human, the sound was off coming from him. "Not bad? Not bad?! Are you forgetting who we're talking about?!"

"Inuyasha," Kaede said comfortingly. "Ye must rest least ye not have the strength to find Kagome as ye are determined to do. What would Kagome think if ye came to her half dead?"

"What you're trying to tell me is that we shouldn't even bother going after her," Inuyasha grumbled. "Why in the hell should you care if I rest or not?"

"Inuyasha, thy ears are not open. Kagome must handle Sesshoumaru on her own, but she has always believed less in herself. She finds strength in those around her. Much as thyself. And as honorable as Sesshoumaru is, he is still the darker half of this. How easy would it be for him to fall into the temptation of molding her. And how easy for Kagome to allow it when she believes herself to be the weaker half?"

"She's not weak, you know!"

"Lady Kaede meant no such thing, Inuyasha," Miroku said in defense of Kaede. Hearing what the Lady Kaede was saying, his mind had followed her train of thought to form his own conclusions. "Sesshoumaru is not worthy yet of the Lady Kagome, is what she is trying to explain to you"

"Of course he's not worthy of her!" Inuyasha interrupted.

Miroku ignored the hanyou's outburst and continued. He did not like this situation any more than Inuyasha did, but that did not mean he should approach it without logic. "We are all forgetting that Kagome is from five hundred years into the future. If Sesshoumaru is alive during her era, he would be of the proper mindset and compatibility to claim her, perhaps. He is not now."

"Yes," Kaede agreed. "As he is now, he will approach this looking only for what gains there are for himself. He will try and dominate her as the male would in a usual youkai mating."

"Sesshoumaru will _never_ accept humans," Inuyasha spat.

"Time changes all views, Inuyasha. Were not ye own ways challenged by my sister, Kikyou?"

"But what are the consequences of him claiming her now, before he's...ready?" Sango asked, directing the conversation back to where it needed to be. "And what would happen if Kagome tried to fight his claiming?"

***


	6. Chapter 6

** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **

~ Chapter Six ~

HER thoughts were circling nonstop in her mind with a new one beginning before the old one even ended. Her emotions were rising and falling, changing before one had enough root to take hold. She wanted to fill the silence that surrounded them, but she didn't know what to say. The only thing she had to focus on was Sesshoumaru, the sound of his voice and feeling of his touch, her mind did not want to linger there. It still screamed danger and Kagome wasn't entirely sure her instincts were wrong. Sesshoumaru _was_ dangerous. He was an unknown factor in so many ways and they knew so little about it him. Of course, if Inuyasha was asked, they knew too much already. His very existence was all the hanyou needed to know, but Kagome had always had a curious nature.

"You are in need of sustenance," the daiyoukai said, drawing her out of her thoughts.

His words, evenly said, made Kagome giggle. It wasn't that she found his statement funny in any way, but that was the only reaction she was capable of making. And she was hungry. In the darkness of this place she could not tell the time of day or night, but she knew some space of time had passed. She hadn't eaten since last night having intended on indulging herself in her mom's kitchen back in her own time and her body was crying for food.

That thought brought her current predicament back swimming to the forefront of her mind again. Did Sesshoumaru know where she was from? She knew that the daiyoukai was aware of the importance of the well to her. He had stated that quite clearly when fighting against Inuyasha _and _he had seen her emerge from the well twice now. But did he know? "Miko." His voice drew her back to the present. "You will cease this."

How did he know what she was feeling? Wait. He could sense her emotions. Were her jumbling thoughts bothering him? Of course they were. He was not the sort to indulge in such theatrics; nor tolerate them from other people. But what about the little girl that traveled with him? They'd seen her several times in Sesshoumaru's presence and Inuyasha had confirmed that she was human by her scent. "Miko," he said again, his voice harder.

"I can't help myself!" she nearly shouted back before she remembered his acute sense of hearing and lowered her tone. She was tired of being told what to do. It wasn't in her nature to agree with everything. She had her own thoughts, her own ideas. Doing whatever she was told to do by a man just because he _was_ a man was not the way she had been raised either. "How would you feel if you were me?"

"I would be rational in my thoughts and not allow my emotions to control me."

It was a ridiculous statement, when applied to her, but entirely plausible when it came to Sesshoumaru. They were just that different.

Sesshoumaru smirked at the female before him. It was almost painfully obvious that what he had revealed to her she had not been ready to know or accept. She was fighting it. Still, he had waited long enough. Her scent had teased him long enough. She had not realized it, but he had yet to release his hold upon her wrist and, with every stroke of his finger over the mark that connected them, she moved closer to him in the darkness. His mokomoko-sama tightened around her with every step she took. There would be no withdrawal from their contact for her now. With her underdeveloped senses, he was the only thing she knew in this place. "Miko. I will fetch you something to eat and better clothing to protect yourself with. The elements are turning colder."

At the mention of being cold, a shiver raced up her body. She hadn't been aware of it, but the temperature of the place she was in, wherever it was, was not warm at all. Her skin was covered in goose bumps—except where he was touching her. That reminded her of the fact that he was still lightly gripping her around her wrist and his finger was still tracing over the mark. She noticed the pressure of his mokomoko-sama as it tightened around her again. "What is this mark you've given me?" she asked before she could stop herself. She also did not want to be left alone in this pressing darkness. _While Sesshoumaru is not the company I would have chosen, he's better than nothing_, she told herself.

He knew what the miko was feeling. Standing this close to her, touching her as he was, it was almost as if he were living inside of her now. When he breathed, she breathed. The fact that he'd reached this stage with her so quickly surprised him. In all the ancient texts he'd read, a bond of this sort took many, many moons to form. Each party had to learn to bend and sway with the other. They needed to mold to each other's forms to make binding ties. Their spirits had to meld slowly or risk tearing each apart. While bending to another's will was never what Sesshoumaru had wanted to do--or would do-- the power and strength to be gained from such a union was almost blinding him as to why he did not want this particular female. Of course, he was a master tactician. There had to be way to gain the benefits of this mating without any giving on his own part. Until he found a way, he would humor her on this matter. If the miko believed he felt himself softening towards her, she would be more likely to allow him entrance.

"It is the point of our connection. Where our spirits merge," he finally answered her. "It is not a true mating mark, though, miko. Such marks can only be made when both parties consent. Consciously," he added, remembering that he had marked her when she had not been awake.

His hand traced up her arm and settled near the base of her throat, where her pulse point was. His thumb lightly pressed down upon it._ How could a man who'd fought with swords for centuries have such soft hands? _Kagome thought before being entrapped by his voice once more.

"Mating marks, or claiming marks such as the one I have placed upon you, are created where the point of blood is strongly sensed. It signifies to others that the female is taken. That is one reason why, when a youkai wishes to mate with a female, he places his mark upon the base of her throat. The mark on the throat also recognizes that the female has given dominance of herself over to the male, as it is one of the most vulnerable places on the body. Another reason marks are placed on the throat is that it is also a place most easily seen by others. A youkai who is not secure in his possession of the female will want to mark in a place most easily seen by others. When the youkai finally mates with his intended, a full mating mark will be placed upon her body according to the youkai's breed. For an inuyoukai that point is on the back of the neck."

He was boasting to her that he was secure in his possession of her, but Kagome wasn't a possession. She'd been fighting that ideal ever since coming to this era, but it was a losing battle and she knew it. The ways of this time were what they were. That did not mean, however, that she had to allow herself to be viewed as such. If Inuyasha could learn to accept this about her, surely Sesshoumaru could, as well. "You do not own me, Sesshoumaru. I am a human being. Not a piece of property."

Sesshoumaru knew she would take this route. The miko was forever trying to hold herself on the same level as a male. That was one of the reasons why he had chosen to place his claiming mark upon her wrist. If she believed she held some hope of equal footing, she would be easier to manipulate. "This Sesshoumaru owns you, miko," he replied evenly and paused. He enjoyed watching her ire raise and then cutting the reason for it off, leaving her floundering. "As much as you own me."

***

"I do not know," Kaede admitted, to answer Sango's question. "I have much knowledge and experience to draw upon, but I do not know everything."

"Well why the hell not?!" Inuyasha yelled from where he was laying.

Everyone ignored his outburst. "Is there some other person who might be able to aid us, Lady Kaede?" Miroku asked, his right hand wrapping around his staff for comfort.

"Perhaps, but my knowledge of such people are limited, Miroku. My place is here, tending to these people. I have not the wanderlust of ye."

Miroku took the hint that the Lady Kaede was offering. She did not want to outright give them answers. Journeys in life were meant to be learning experiences, meant to strengthen one for further lives. Kaede, who was well informed of their adventures when they returned to Edo, knew of someone in their past who had the knowledge to aid them. She was leaving it up to them to figure out who that was. The fact that she was willing to do this with Kagome in the trouble that she was in, gave Miroku the hope that he much needed. There was still time to save their friend from this fate life had thrown her into.

Nodding his head, letting the old priestess know that he understood, Miroku turned back to his companions. "Let us put our thoughts together on this matter one last time before seeking the rest we so richly deserve."

"We don't deserve rest!" the hanyou yelled. "Kagome's out there...waiting for us."

"I am sure that Sesshoumaru is seeing to her every comfort, Inuyasha. Or is that what worries you?"

Inuyasha's glare was all the answer that Miroku needed. Looking away from the half-breed, the monk turned his eyes to the slayer. She had, apparently, caught on to Kaede's unsaid declaration as well and he could see her dark brown eyes deep in thought. She was thinking over their past experiences and of who they had met that might have some knowledge that would help them now. Then her eyes darkened momentarily as a name she thought crossed her mind in serious consideration. "What is it, Sango?" Miroku asked when it appeared she was not going to voice the name.

Sango looked up from where she was seated; Kirara curled up in a ball on her lap. "We could seek the aid of Master Ungai."

Master Ungai? That was not someone he, himself, had been considering. The monk and his followers had met up with them several months ago...and had a run-in with Sesshoumaru, as well. "Master Ungai..." Miroku said thoughtfully. Then he turned his eyes towards Inuyasha, wanting to know the hanyou's thoughts.

Inuyasha was blank-faced. "Who?"

Miroku sighed, losing his patience from lack of sleep. "Master Ungai, Inuyasha. He and his exterminators were the ones who vanquished Ongokoki, the youkai stealing children. We met him on a night of the new moon. Master Ungai and his followers also attacked Sesshoumaru that night."

"Oh that jackass! What in the hell could he do to help us? He's not strong enough to defeat Sesshoumaru and he doesn't like youkai."

"I don't think anyone is strong enough to defeat Sesshoumaru," Sango replied, ignoring Inuyasha's stutter of disagreement, "But that is not what we need. What we need is knowledge. Master Ungai, if he had the knowledge to save a human from a youkai or knew of something that would, would not hesitate to aid us."

"It would not hurt to speak with him," Miroku agreed.

"Like hell I'm gonna go speak to that pathetic waste of skin!"

"Master Ungai would not speak with you either, Inuyasha," Miroku replied to the hanyou's outburst with calm. "I shall go and seek his guidance. As a fellow monk, he would do me the courtesy of at least hearing me out. You, Inuyasha, will seek out Kikyou."

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha said, his voice showing his confusion. "What's she gonna be able to do?"

"Kikyou still contains a part of Kagome's soul. They have a connection. Kagome has told me on numerous occasions that she can feel when Kikyou is near because of the draw of their shared soul. Also, Sesshoumaru, if he learns of this, might try and find Kikyou himself."

Inuyasha was not catching on. "What'd he want her for? He's already got Kagome."

Miroku took another deep, calming breath. Had the half-breed not been listening at all while they'd been speaking on this matter? "Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru wants to join his spirit with Kagome's soul. All of it. He cannot do that while a part of her resides within Kikyou."

Comprehension dawned in the hanyou's eyes. "I will go with Inuyasha," Sango said, surprising the two men before her. Her dislike of Kikyou in favor of Kagome was known and had been well voiced over the years. "We shall guard Kikyou, whether she wants it or not, to protect Kagome. And we will do so until we find a way to free Kagome. Miroku, Kirara and Shippou will travel with you. The instant you learn something, they can find us and let us know."

Their plans made, even though Inuyasha still fought them, the slayer and the monk settled down for the evening. It wasn't long before they passed into sleep. Kaede, however, sat up long into the night, tending to the hanyou's wounds while he grumbled and fought against the sleeping herbs she had been forcing down his throat. "Ye should rest, Inuyasha," she said to him quietly, so as not to disturb the other occupants of her small hut. "I feel the coming days will be quite trying for ye."

Inuyasha turned away from the old priestess, not wanting to talk about what was going on any more. His eyes fell on the uncovered window and he stared out into the moonless sky, cursing his luck. "Kagome," he whispered. "I will save you." Then his eyes closed as the herbs finally took effect.

***

_As much as you own me_, said in his deep voice, floated around and around in her mind. Not even the darkness bothered her as she sat and pondered this turn of events. Thinking on the matter was the only thing she had to do in this place until Sesshoumaru returned. As long as she did not allow herself to become overly emotional, she could think rationally about it. Kami, how she wished Kaede were here with her!

Sesshoumaru had left her with his haori for additional warmth when he'd departed; an act Kagome would never have expected the daiyoukai to be capable of. But then again, hadn't she admitted to herself that they knew little about him to begin with? Tightening the garment around her to better cover her exposed legs, she sighed to herself and closed her eyes. Just because all she could see was darkness didn't mean her eyes weren't tired of looking at it.

Kagome could feel the weight and pressure of the past hours, however long it had been, bearing down on her. Stress was not something she handled well on her own. Always a social creature, she craved others company. "Now there's one definite opposite for me and Sesshoumaru!" she said aloud in as cheerful a voice as she could muster so that she could hear _something_. "What else? What else?"

Then she felt a slight tingle race across her skin. Without a doubt, she knew Sesshoumaru had returned. He wasn't going to leave her in this never-ending darkness alone. As the tingling grew stronger, she felt the fires of his essence dancing around her. There was another difference. While she was the light, he was the dark. While her touch was soothing, his was damning. "Lord Sesshoumaru?" she called out.

"Are you in the habit of conversing with yourself aloud often, miko?" he asked as he drew near.

Kagome could feel a blush rising on her face and she managed to keep hold of her tongue. Whatever she was about to say would surely only further her embarrassment. Instead, she cleared her throat. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she said softly, hoping the giving mood he was in still remained, "May I have some light, please? Being in constant darkness is not good for my eyes."

The miko always decided to use his honorific whenever she wanted something from him. This was good to recognize. It would save him considerable trouble in the future.

He did not reply, but Kagome could hear him moving around. That was a sign of something, she was sure, as he had not let her know of his movements before. A few seconds later a flame struck and brightness filled the room. Kagome was forced to cover her eyes, the light having been denied her for so long that it pained her now. Slowly, she removed her hand and cracked open her eyes to find two hares lying on the ground before her. "Bunnies..." she said offhandedly. She'd always liked bunnies. Alive, that is.

"Surely you know how to prepare your own food, miko," Sesshoumaru said from behind her.

Kagome looked over her shoulder to where he was. Sesshoumaru was standing next to a large pile of what looked like pillows, thick and well made. Was that a bed? He looked so different and Kagome realized it was because he was no longer wearing his armor or his swords. Her eyes stayed trained on him, as she took in the differences. While he looked less threatening, there was still a halo of danger that hung about him. This was not a man, no matter his resemblance to such. This was a wild beast, feral and more than capable of ending her short life--with or without a sword.

As she watched, his eyes lengthened and shortened, sighting her and capturing her. He sniffed at the air, inhaling her scent and passing judgment. His one hand reached up and brushed a long lock of his snow white hair back over his shoulder. The movement was so simple and yet filled with more grace than Kagome believed she would ever have in her entire lifetime. His beautiful face, perfection, was set into its mask. She could read nothing of what he was thinking or feeling right then, but she knew he was having patience with her; letting her examine him in the light of the fire.

Sesshoumaru watched as the miko's face mirrored his own impassive mask, or tried to. Her eyes, though, could never hide from him. He watched as she took in his appearance. There was something akin to wonder there and he wished that not only could he feel her thoughts but read them, too. Whatever the miko was thinking was transforming her eyes, making them light up from within. _Stunning_, he thought. _Yes, her innocence is stunning._

She stood, dusting off her hands and wrapping his outer haori tighter around her petite form. His haori reached well below her knees and he was reminded of how small she was compared to him. He also noticed the pleasure he felt at seeing her wearing something of his, of seeing her being immersed in his own scent. For some reason, the idea that she was human no longer seemed to be such a great barrier. With his clothing wrapped around her from shoulder to ankle, as she had been sitting down and covering herself with it, there would be no mistaking as to whom she belonged--if any were dense enough to not recognize the flames of his protection that now danced along the edge of her aura because of his claiming mark.

Her aura flared as she took a step towards him, bright and shining. Sesshoumaru answered back with a push of his own, but hers seemed to swim over his, coating it, trying to offer comfort. Unused to such a thing, he made to push harder against hers, to dominate it, but then she was standing before him. He lowered his eyes slowly to look into her own, forgetting the pulsing of her aura as he was as captured by hers as she was by his. There was her ever present innocence and trust again, shining in her eyes even more so than before as their gazes had locked. _Such a fragile creature. _

Kagome looked up into the face of the daiyoukai who thought to claim her. He was so proud, so cold, and seemed so very alone. She wondered what routes his life had taken him through, what his childhood--or pup-hood, rather--had been like. She wondered what relations he'd had with his mother and father. Had they been anything like her own? Using the hand that held his mark upon it, she reached out and placed it flat against his chest, over his heart. The heart everyone claimed him not to have beat strong and steady underneath her palm. His body heat radiated out, warmer than her own. His chest rose and fell silently on a breath. And still he stared down at her, not moving.

Withdrawing from him, suddenly embarrassed by her actions, Kagome moved back over to the hares and picked them up. "Is there something I can use to skin them?" she asked, not looking towards Sesshoumaru.

He felt at a loss when she took her hand from his person and distanced herself. He could still feel her palm pressing upon him, her aura coating his own. No one had dared to touch him like that in centuries. Not even Rin was so open. She did not even attempt to touch him when he returned from being gone—though the urge was most definitely there. Rin respected the boundaries he'd set and never crossed them. She used her smile to tell him everything she longed to through touch. "You will find everything necessary by the fire, miko," he answered her slowly, unsure if he would be able to keep his voice steady as his mind reeled at the realization that he wanted her to touch him again. "There is also a change of clothing for you there. Something more covering."

"Thank you," she answered, honestly grateful for the consideration he was showing her. She chose to ignore his comment on her school uniform as Kagome was use to such things now. "I suppose you would like your own clothing returned."

"Yes."

Kagome laid the two hares down next to the fire. Slipping his haori off, she shivered as the chill of the air touched her skin once more. She folded the garment across her arm, hugging it next to her body, and walked back over to where he still stood. She held it out to him and watched with disguised interest as he accepted the return of his clothing. His claws lightly brushed against her as he took it and Kagome knew he'd touched her on purpose. Shrugging away the feeling his touch invoked, she moved back over to the fire where the air was slowly heating.

There were a selection of knives laid out on a leather cloth by the fire pit and a few bowls for cooking and eating with. There were also chopsticks, a cup for drinking from, and a bucket for collecting water. "Is there some water I might use?"

When he didn't answer right away, she turned to look at him, as she knew he wanted her to. His long fingers rose slightly, indicating a still shadowed part of the apparent cavern she was being held in. "You will find an adequate source of water there, miko."

Nodding her head in understanding, Kagome picked up the bucket and moved into the shadows. It took her a minute to locate the water he spoke of. A small stream was running down the side of the cave, so slowly its flow was soundless. The water was being collected in a deepened natural basin on the floor. The basin was a long as she was tall and would probably come up to her knees if she stepped into it, but the water was ice cold. Were they up in the higher mountains?

Returning to the fire with her water, Kagome set about preparing the hares for cooking while Sesshoumaru looked on soundlessly behind her. He did not move once the entire time she worked, content with merely watching her. While her motions were not as graceful as his own, there was a certain beauty and innocence in everything she did…and innocence was something he had not tasted in a long, long while.

Unguarded as she was now with her barriers down while she focused on the task at hand, Sesshoumaru could watch the dance of her aura and inhale her unique scent freely. Already marked in his mind, he would carry the smell of her with him everywhere but the real fragrance always defeated the memory of one.

When the miko had finished her work and cleaned up what utensils she'd used, the smell of cooking hare filled the air. Sesshoumaru moved towards her, knowing it was time for him to leave. There were things he needed to tend to and he'd been away long enough. Even though he knew Jaken had formed an attachment of his own towards Rin, he did not like to leave her solely in the imp's care for long. She was his ward, his responsibility, and he watched over what belonged to him. "Miko," he said smoothly.

She jumped at his nearness and spun to face him, still on her knees, and her moved to cover her heart. Sesshoumaru almost allowed a smile to show as he relished the position she'd put herself into. As she had during their previous encounters, the miko was subjugated before him once more. Soon it would not be by accident that this happened. Soon she would do so knowingly; laying herself open before him, willingly and with her whole heart inviting him to take her. "You scared me," she said, even though no explanation was necessary.

Sesshoumaru decided against remarking upon her pointing out the obvious. "I must go now. You will remain here."

"For how long?"

Raising his brow at her daring to question him, he recalled several other occasions when she had done just that and he had felt nothing wrong with it. Pushing the thoughts aside, he stared down at her, locking his own eyes with hers. There was no fear. There was only acceptance of a situation she had no power to change--for the moment. Yes, she might want him to believe she had accepted her fate as fact, but she forgot that he was a part of her now. He could still sense her desire to escape…and he would never let her go.

Deciding against answering her—he he had been too soft on her as it was—Sesshoumaru spun on his heels and walked away.

***


	7. Chapter 7

** chapter revised 4/16/2010 **

~ Chapter Seven ~

SURROUNDING the large cavern she was in was a barrier of Sesshoumaru's creation. When she had first touched it, to see its depth and power, she had been startled to find herself in pain. The pain shot through her body and, in her mind, she saw crimson eyes and snarling fangs--both warning her that she was to stay. It had taken her a long while to recover, never having felt such a thing before. Not even when Sesshoumaru had been punishing her in her dream had there been such chaos forced upon her. Now she prowled along its edges like a caged animal, testing its strengths with a push of her own aura. Even though she still felt much weaker than she normally did, she retained at least that much control. However the barrier remained steady and strong no matter what she tried and now it was tearing at her sanity.

She _needed_ to get out of there.

Her prison was not unbearable and Kagome had been trapped in worse situations over the years. There was fresh water and a comfortable place to sleep. There was a fire for light and warmth with plenty of tender to keep it fed. Still, she did not wish to be here and the need to escape was strong within her. She knew that the thoughts and desires to do so would flee the instant Sesshoumaru stood in the same area with her and she knew she needed to try and do so while he was gone, but how? Her powers were being subdued somehow and his barrier was strong.

Glancing down at her hand, the one she'd touched the barrier with that was still cradled protectively against her stomach, her eyes landed on the crescent moon glaring darkly back at her and anger rose within her. Now that Sesshoumaru was not there to influence her moods, she could feel it. She was angry because she'd been struck, angry at being taken against her will, angry because of Inuyasha's treatment at the hand of his brother, and angry because she was being forced into something like this without even a by-your-leave! She was angry at the Fates for taking her life from her and thrusting her continuously into these situations, too. Grabbing a hold of that strong emotion, Kagome used it to her advantage and fed the pure fires that burned within her.

She could feel her aura flaring out around her, striking against Sesshoumaru's barrier like a snake. Kagome approached the barrier head on. Holding both her hands out in front of her, she placed them against it. The pain radiated through her once more, but Kagome pushed it aside. Sesshoumaru's face flashed in her mind, terrible in its fury. Closing her eyes, Kagome focused herself and her energy. Biting her lower lip to hold back her cry of pain, she took another resolute step forward. If what Sesshoumaru said was true and they were equals then this barrier should not be able to hold her. She took another step, feeling his barrier trying to repeal her. Taking an iron hold of her own will and energy, Kagome took another step and then another.

The sensation of falling reached her before her mind realized that she had passed through. Her body slammed into the ground and a harsh release of breath escaped her. Sesshoumaru's dark energy crackled visibly across her body, still fighting her. Kagome grimaced against the pain and tried to rise, but her strength had left her. She had been too long without rest. It had taken everything she'd had to push her way through the barrier and now Sesshoumaru's energy was sucking away at what remained.

Kagome closed her eyes, trying to subdue what was trying to conquer her.

***

Miroku woke before the sunrise. Inuyasha was still asleep and still in his human form. Bare from the waist up, the bandages on his chest were soaked with blood. He and Sango would not be leaving to search for Kikyou that morning, if the two women had any say in the matter. That meant that his quest was all the more important.

Waking Shippou, he carried the still half asleep kitsune out into the morning air. Kirara, waking when he had, followed shortly. "But we haven't eaten yet..." Shippou said groggily.

"We will eat in a little while, Shippou. Time is of importance and we have much ground to cover. Master Ungai and his exterminators were last seen in the eastern territories."

"That guy scares me," Shippou commented with a shudder as he made himself a comfortable place to return to sleep on Miroku's lap.

Miroku grimaced to himself, remembering exactly how terrified the little kitsune had been when faced with the monks. If he'd had a choice in the matter, he would not have elected to have either of his youkai companions join him on this search. Master Ungai was not known for his charitable ways where youkai were concerned and he doubted the monk's temperament had changed any since the last time their paths had crossed. Still, he would find Master Ungai much faster with the help of Kirara and Shippou. "He will not hurt you, Shippou. I will not allow it."

Shippou nodded his head in understanding. "Do you...do you think Kagome's gonna be okay, Miroku?"

"Of course, Shippou. She has been through worse situations and remained unscathed."

"But Sesshoumaru's as scary as Master Ungai!"

Miroku thought that Sesshoumaru was far more terrifying than Ungai, but, then again, he wasn't a short little fox youkai, either. When Sesshoumaru had turned his burning red eyes onto him the other day, Miroku had known true fear. It was as if the very fires of Hell had been staring at him and he couldn't help but fear for his friend now trapped with the ruthless daiyoukai. He prayed Kagome kept her temper in check. But Kagome was strong and there was a lot more to her than anyone truly gave her credit for. "Sesshoumaru does not want to hurt the Lady Kagome," Miroku told the little kitsune reassuringly.

"But if he takes her soul, isn't that hurting her?"

Miroku looked down at Shippou for a long while. He looked so much like a child and was treated as such, but, in reality, he wasn't much of one anymore. Youkai aged differently than humans. There were times when his childish nature showed, but Shippou had been slowly losing that edge for some time now and his playful actions were more because he was a fox youkai than a child. He was 'growing-up', one could say. "We will not let it progress that far, Shippou."

***

_Kagome opened her eyes. She was lying down, staring into the face of a perfect white flower. What were these flowers and why was Sesshoumaru constantly dragging her to this place?! Viciously tearing the flower away from her face, she stood and looked around her. She was alone...for now...but she could feel him coming to her. _

_Above her the full moon hung, haunting and large. Another question for Sesshoumaru, she thought resolutely. The youkai had much to explain to her…much more than he already had. And by the Kamis she was tired of not knowing what in the hell was going on around her!_

_Looking around her once more, she decided she didn't want to see any more flowers. Then, as suddenly as the thought had come upon her, she was no longer in the field. She was standing outside her own home, in her own time, with a very angry looking daiyoukai before her. "What is the meaning of this, miko?" he asked, his voice cold and flat._

_"I'm home..." Kagome breathed, looking around her; longing for the sight of her family._

_Sesshoumaru had never been to her time. He'd never seen her home or knew even remotely what it looked like. So that meant...she was in control. _

_Kagome smiled, wickedly. It was a smile that would have done the murderous inu-daiyoukai proud. "You cannot control me, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, knowing her voice would carry to him. They were separated by a great distance it seemed. For some reason, the space was larger than it truly was. _

_In an instant, Sesshoumaru was before her. His single hand reached out and grasped her around her neck. He lifted her, effortlessly, off the ground. Kagome did not struggle. She did not feel the need to. Here she was safe from him. Her only thought was wondering why grabbing her around the throat was so appealing. "You will let me go. Now."_

_His eyes, so close to her own now, bled red and Kagome watched the process with awe. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying to see; the veins of red widened and spread and encompass all. Kagome felt a shiver race through her body. This was the beast she was seeing. This was the inuyoukai. "I will never let you go."_

_His voice had been rough, wild. "Unhand me, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said again, keeping her tone soothing now. Her mother had always said you caught more flies with honey than with vinegar. Of course, why someone would want to catch flies was beyond her understanding. "Please."_

_Slowly, he lowered her back to the ground, but his grip on her throat did not relent. Kagome took what she could get and did not try and pull away from him. She remembered too well the pain of being hit by him that had carried over into the waking world._

_His breathing was coming in harsh pants. It was the most emotion she had ever seen him show bodily before. "You will return me to Inuyasha," she said, hoping her power here carried over into the real world._

_"Never."_

_"I want to go back to him. I love him."_

_"Love means nothing, miko," Sesshoumaru answered, slowly regaining control of himself. It, too, was a beautiful process to watch, but then again, he was a gorgeous creature. Perfection at its height, Kagome thought with a sigh. Then Sesshoumaru's breathing evened out and his mask locked back into place. "And it is your downfall."_

_The world shifted around her once more and Kagome almost groaned. They were once more standing in the field with the moon shining down upon them. Sesshoumaru was no longer holding her by the throat, though. Now he was circling her closely. She could feel his silken hair as it brushed against her body. She could smell him. She could taste him on her tongue. Was this what Inuyasha's world was like? The feeling of knowing, of sensing, so much was intoxicating. Kagome took a deep breath. Even the flowers smelled sweeter. 'You are strong, miko," Sesshoumaru said. "But I am stronger."_

_"We are the same, Sesshoumaru," Kagome countered, thinking of how she'd pushed through his barrier._

_He smirked at her, she could feel it, and then came to stop behind her. His hand settled heavily onto her shoulder and then ran down her arm to her wrist. Kagome watched as his long fingers encircled her there, squeezing slightly in a soundless message. "We are not the same, miko," he corrected her. _

_Automatically she raised her hand, his guiding hers without force. He held her wrist before her face and slowly sunk his claw into her flesh. Blood blossomed and Kagome could smell and taste the coppery odor. Then he pushed himself against her, leaning down over her shoulder, enfolding her within his larger form. She could see every movement he made, could feel his muscles moving against her body. His tongue darted out and flicked across the mark. Kagome shivered at the contact and then watched, mesmerized once more, as he suckled at the wound._

_This time, with him pressed so close to her, she could feel the pleasure coursing through his body. He broke away and opened his own wrist, holding it up to her. His blood smelled sweet, like the flowers. Kagome opened her mouth willingly and placed it against his skin. He leaned back over and put his own mouth up against hers. _

_As sickening as the thought of her doing this was to her, Kagome could not help but see the beauty in such actions. He was giving to her, as she was giving to him. This was a youkai trait, a youkai action, but it felt so right to her. What was becoming of her? _

_Sesshoumaru had to forcefully move his arm away from her, she knew. She'd become lost in the action of taking and giving. Turning to face him, her eyes wide, she looked up into that face. His eyes were warm again, warm and loving. Kagome realized that his eyes only looked at her this way after they had connected, shared themselves with one another. "Love is not a weakness, Sesshoumaru," she said softly. "Love is what I am."_

***

"Let me up already!" Inuyasha yelled to the empty room. Sango and Kaede had receded outside when he would not stop demanding to be released. Inuyasha didn't care where they went. He would yell all the louder until they gave in. "LET ME UP!!"

Hearing the slayer growl, Inuyasha smiled with satisfaction when she stormed back inside. "Inuyasha, sit boy!"

Reflexively, Inuyasha's ears pinned back against his head. Then he realized what he'd done and growled up at Sango. "Ha! Doesn't work for you, Sango!" he shouted triumphantly, forgetting what he was trying to make the slayer do.

"If only..." she grumbled. Then she sat down next to his prone form and began looking underneath the myriad amount of bandages covering his upper body. The only one not well on its way to being healed completely was the stab wound, but, as Kaede had said, that would take time and rest. And time is what they did not have—at least not where she was concerned.

"See!" Inuyasha said when the slayer sat back from examining him. "Now if you're done ogling my body like that lecherous priest does yours, get these damn sutras off of me and let's get going!"

She opened her mouth to speak but then snapped her jaw shut with an audible click. Inuyasha could see the fire in her eyes and almost let out a whimper. Then Kaede came in and Inuyasha had never been so happy to see the old hag in his entire life. "Ye must be quiet, Inuyasha. Ye are disturbing."

"You want me quiet, let me up!"

"Ye are not well enough yet, Inuyasha."

"I'm fine, you old hag!"

"May hap ye think ye are, Inuyasha--" Kaede began.

"No," Sango interrupted. "He's right. We need to find Kikyou. Do you have any idea of where she could be, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha thought about that. It had been some time since last they'd run into Kikyou. There was no telling where she could be. "No," he admitted gloomily.

"A traveler some months past mentioned a wandering priestess who looked remarkably like Kagome," Kaede provided. "He said he came from the south."

"Fine," Sango said, ripping one of the sutras off of Inuyasha's body. Secretly she enjoyed the flinch that showed on his face. Even at his best, Inuyasha could be a royal pain. With her nerves as stretched as they were, Sango knew the coming days would test her mettle where the hanyou was concerned. "Then it is south we go."

"We can't just wander around aimlessly!"

It wasn't like Inuyasha to not want to act—and he had been screaming to do just that all last night and all this morning. Why was he suddenly so hesitant? Sango narrowed her eyes at him. What was he hiding now? She ripped off another one of the sutras. "Is there something else you haven't told us, Inuyasha?" she asked sweetly.

Sango talking sweetly was only a sign of coming pain and Inuyasha shook his head rapidly no as she ripped another sutra off his body. "Can't you be a little nicer when you do that?!"

"No," she replied as she ripped another off and then another. "Can you tell me what it is you're hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" he protested. Then a slow blush crossed his face. "I just don't want to see her."

_Now_ he gets uncomfortable thinking of being around Kikyou? Where was this when it was really needed?! "This isn't about you and her, Inuyasha. This is about Kagome. And if I have to drag you to Kikyou's side, then so be it!" Sango informed the half-breed, ripping off a sutra for each word she spoke. With the last word, the last sutra came off.

Inuyasha immediately jumped to feet, flexing his claws and stretching his back. He'd been immobile for so long now, he was stiff. He walked outside without another word, stretching as he went, and Sango followed him. Finished flexing his muscles, Inuyasha crouched down in front of her. "Let's go, Sango."

"What?" she said with a blush of her own.

Inuyasha glared at the slayer over his shoulder. "What?" he said back to her. "I'm faster than you and you won't be able to keep up with me running on your own. So get the hell on my back!"

Sango knew he was right. Shouldering her Hirakotsu, she climbed into Kagome's usual spot and the hanyou took off with a blinding burst of speed, leaving Kaede standing in her doorway.

Kaede looked off after the two and closed her remaining eye, whispering a silent prayer for all involved.

***

_"Love is what I am."_

Sesshoumaru snapped out of the trance he'd fallen into when the miko's spirit had unexpectedly called to him. He growled low in his throat and heard Jaken's startled yelp when the imp heard him. "Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken said tentatively.

He turned his head slightly; not looking at the imp but letting him know all the same that he had his attention. "Lord Sesshoumaru, is something wrong?"

Sesshoumaru did not even bother dignifying that question with an answer. Instead, he turned his head away once more and stared off into the distance, his senses both searching the area surrounding them for any danger and reaching across the distance to the miko.

He and his...pack—not having a better word for what he would call those who followed him—were currently sequestered by a gently flowing bend of a river. Rin was wading in the water, her kimono pulled up to keep it from getting wet. Her bright eyes were focused on the fish swimming there and her small child's hands were posed for action. "Jaken," he said smoothly.

His retainer gulped audibly. "Y..yes, my Lord?"

"Go and help Rin."

"Yes, my Lord!" the imp said with obvious relief. He had been expecting to be struck. Whenever his Lord carried that certain expression in his eyes, it did not bode well for him.

Sesshoumaru turned his eyes towards his ward. The little girl noticed she had her Lord's attention and smiled brightly. Her smile reminded him of the miko and Sesshoumaru turned away once more. Her mood not disturbed by her Lord's lack of return, he heard her laugh at Jaken's attempt to get into the water without wetting himself which ended up with the imp buried head first into the flow. "Master Jaken, you'll never catch a fish that way!"

"Rin, you silly girl!" the imp sputtered as he picked himself up out of the water. "You should not disrespect me so, child!"

"Yes, Master Jaken. I am sorry," Rin answered with a giggle that said she was anything but sorry to see her traveling companion and care taker--when her Lord was absent--floundering about head first in the cold water.

Sesshoumaru listened vaguely as the two continued their conversation speckled with light bickering here and there. Then he turned them out completely when he realized the miko had escaped his barrier. How?

His body stiffened as his senses focused more on her. She was lying on the ground, asleep apparently, outside of his barrier. _How?_ He had been sensing her overwhelming amount of emotions since leaving her, but had not been paying much attention to them. The miko was a human female, a sex prone to wild mood swings—and the miko seemed to be a premium example of that. He did not want to even begin to recall the amount and range of emotions she had shown him during their brief time together. Such a display was a weakness, but he did not mind that she showed them to him--and only to him. Such a thing was to be expected from a human and he could use her weakness to his own advantage. He just wished she'd pick one emotion and cling to it for a length of time.

He was torn from his thoughts by the overly excited screeching and splashing of his retainer. Sesshoumaru looked back over towards the pair to find Jaken doing what appeared to be Rin's 'happy dance' while wildly swinging the fish he'd caught around him. Rin was laughing and clapping her hands in jubilation. "Hn," he commented before turning his eyes and mind back to the miko. As long as Rin was happy, he would not berate the imp for distracting him from his thoughts.

The miko was a mystery that needed to be solved. The place she had taken him to had been foreign to him. He had never seen the likes of it before and yet the miko had called it home. Is that the place the well took her to? He had never really paid much mind to it before. The well was of no use to him. When he was near it he could feel the youkai energies contained within it, yes, but he knew the stories as well. Why the miko disappeared inside of it or where she went after disappearing within its depths had never mattered. Now, though, that id _did _matter he would know. He needed to know everything and she would tell him. He would see to that.

The fact that she had gained some measure of control over him in the dream world also perplexed him. He had been livid to be drawn into her unconsciousness. It was _he_ who held the control. It was _he_ who would decide when the miko would be able to interact with his energies. Sesshoumaru had been angered further by her demands to be released and returned to his half-brother's side. Still mentally reeling from her disobedience of him, the mentioning of his half-brother had only angered him further. Yet this miko had managed to calm him, to make him let go of his anger and set her down onto her own two feet again, when all he'd wanted to do was beat the girl into a bloody pile of miko to show his dominance.

And _how_ had she drawn him in? _How_ had she found the strength to gain such control? As far as he had known, she was unaware of the true abilities she contained within her. They only surfaced when she was under severe distress. Of course, since she had broken through his barrier, she would have been under emotional strain. He had added a large measure of his youki to strengthen it and keep the miko away from it. With her miko abilities weakened by the natural barrier of the cavern walls and his own, she should not have even been able to step near his barrier. When she forced her way through, however she had done so, it must have shredded the mental barriers her mind had unconsciously placed in her to bind her energies. However, that did not explain how she had controlled the dream so strongly. He had been helpless to heed her call until she mentioned love. Love—such a pathetic thing and definitely not something he could fall prey to. He was youkai. And true youkai did not indulge in such _human_ behavior.

The releasing of her energies, combined with the strain she had been under since he had taken her from the well, had forced the miko's body to rest. She was sleeping now, still protected by his fires that danced around her aura. When she woke Sesshoumaru knew she would try and run from him. She would try and return to her precious Inuyasha. He smiled, thinking of the pleasure of the hunt. He was an inu, after all. Hunting was something done for sport as well as necessity. It would be thrilling to track her down and remind her all over again the futility of running from him. No one escaped Sesshoumaru—least of all her.

Jaken, still doing his happy dance, looked over towards his Lord and Master and squawked in alarm when he saw his Lord's smile. The fish he'd been so pleased to have caught slipped from his grip, slapping him in the face with his slimy tail before plunging back into the water, but Jaken didn't realize it. His wide, bulbous eyes were focused on his Lord and hoping, praying to every Kami there was, that his Lord's smile did not foretell some measure of pain for himself. _Whoever his Lord's thoughts centered on had better start praying themselves_, he thought before turning away from the sight and back to Rin. _There is nothing but misery to be found for someone else when my Lord smiles like that._

***


	8. Chapter 8

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Eight ~

MIROKU left Kirara and Shippou alone in the forest and decided to approach the village alone where Ungai and his acolytes were supposed to be at the moment. He had left the fire cat and the kitsune eating their morning meal while his own stomach protested, loudly, its lack of food. Steeling himself and silently ordering his stomach to be silent, he trod into the village. Stopping the first person he came to, he asked after Master Ungai's whereabouts and was more than pleased to learn that the monk was, indeed, in the village. Apparently Master Ungai had just rid the village of a plague of youkai spiders, having destroyed their nest.

As he walked towards the house he'd been told that Master Ungai and his followers were currently occupying as they rested, Miroku walked by the village's well where a bevy of beautiful, young women were. His lecherous mind kicked into overdrive as he imagined those women surrounding him. He was about to approach the group when a familiar voice sounded from his left. "It is you," said the voice of Ungai.

Damn. He had gotten lost in his thoughts, a rare occurrence, and hated the fact that it had happened in front of the very man he had come to see. It made him appear undisciplined--which he most definitely was not. _Well, unless of course there were beautiful women involed_, Miroku thought with a grin. "Master Ungai," Miroku said, turning to the priest and offering a bow of respect.

"I remember you," Master Ungai continued. "You were party to the group of youkai slayers traveling with youkai companions."

"Yes," Miroku said with no shame. "And I stand by my friend's words still. Kirara and Shippou would never harm a human." Miroku did not mention Inuyasha. The half-breed's last challenging words to the monk before him did not need to be remembered.

"You still say that and yet now you seek me out."

It was a statement; not a question. Still, Miroku felt it needed an answer. "Yes, Master Ungai. We have come across a...situation...and are hoping we might partake of your wisdom--if you have any that you might be willing to share."

The elder priest looked around him, a curious glint in his eyes. "Where are the rest of your comrades?"

"I have come to speak with you alone, Master Ungai. My friends," he said, stressing the word friends, "Are seeking the advice of other parties."

Master Ungai, hand on his hat as usual, made a noncommittal noise and stared at him for a time. Then he nodded his head. "Your name, Monk?"

"Miroku."

"Ah. You are the apprentice of Master Mushin."

"Yes, Master Ungai."

"I am acquainted with your master. You reflect his values well where youkai are concerned."

Miroku tightened his right fist, clenching the prayer beads against his skin painfully in an attempt to reign in his anger. He had the greatest of respect for Master Mushin, the man who had raised him after his father had fallen to Naraku's curse, and he did not want to listen to any one speak ill of the drunk. "Master Ungai," he replied tightly. "The matter I have come to speak with you about concerns the daiyoukai, Sesshoumaru." He knew mentioning the one youkai to have escaped him would get Ungai's attention and stop the building insults without having to resort to other means. "I believe you are acquainted with him."

"I have never met a more darker youkai. His desire to kill is intense," Ungai said, his eyes reflecting his remembrance of Sesshoumaru. "Very well, Miroku. We may speak."

***

He was coming. She just knew it. He was coming and he was going to get her. And when he got her, he would be angry that she'd defied him...AGAIN.

After waking up from the sleep her body forced upon her, Kagome had taken little time to remind herself of the who, what, where, and why of her current situation. Sesshoumaru's barrier still pulsed angrily at her. Cursing herself for leaving her own clothing and shoes behind her in her frustration to get out, she was left with only the kimono Sesshoumaru had given her to wear and her bare feet. Because she was barefoot and unused to being so, she was slower than usual. There was also the little, insignificant fact that the tunnel leading to her freedom-- she hoped-- was pitch black just as the cavern had been when she'd first been brought there.

As she moved beyond the straining light of the fire and into what looked to be nothing, Kagome cursed herself again for the thousandth time since waking up last. How did she manage to get into these situations? There was some Kami--or maybe all of them-- up above her laughing their glorious head off at the time-traveling miko and her bumbling ways?

Falling down to her hands and knees, she carefully and slowly groped her way up the tunnel. It was long and winding and several times she ran into boulders or walls. She couldn't tell what was what, but it didn't matter what they were. All that mattered was that they were in her way and it hurt to run into them. Keeping her fear in check, she swore to never make fun of someone who was afraid of the dark ever again and pressed onward. Finally she was rewarded by a cool breeze that signified an opening somewhere ahead. Smiling to herself, praying it was daylight outside and she would get some much needed vitamin D, Kagome hurried her pace just enough to run into another hard surface. Thankfully this time it was just her head. Maybe if she smacked her head enough times she would get brain damaged and Sesshoumaru wouldn't want her anymore?

That thought made her laugh and it felt good to have a reason to do so.

The sound of the breeze whistling through an opening was her guide. Keeping to her hands and knees, Kagome moved towards the sound and the feel of the wind. Finally she reached the opening but was dismayed to see it nothing more than a small hole. This could not be the place Sesshoumaru had brought her through. It just wasn't possible.

Lying down on the ground, she looked through the hole. It did lead out of her current holding place and she breathed in the fresh air. It was night outside now, but she couldn't hear anything moving around beyond the stone wall she was crouched behind. The moon was barely out and offered her little to no light. Using her hands, she felt along the opening to judge exactly how large it was and to see if it narrowed any on its way to the open land. When her arm wasn't long enough, she turned and used her bare foot as a guide. Satisfied that there were no nasty surprises waiting for her, Kagome moved forward with all the determination she had.

The pass was narrow, her hips scraping the sides of the walls, and it was also low. Kagome had to keep her head almost level with the ground as she inched out little by little. Perhaps, though, this was a blessing in disguise. If she knew Sesshoumaru like she thought she did, he would want to have the thrill of hunting her down and he wouldn't want to cheat. He'd start at the point of her leave-taking and follow her scent. She was sure her trail would be quite fresh considering the amount of blood she had shed running into and scraping against things. When he came to her exit point she prayed he wasn't strong enough to knock down solid rock walls and follow after her. If he was, she was screwed. If he wasn't, she might have a little bit more time. Of course, if he used his youkai speed, she was still screwed.

Not wanting to follow that line of thought, Kagome turned her attention to focusing on what she was crawling out slowly to. The wind was stronger now, pushing against her hair and making the kimono she wore flap where it wasn't plastered to her body. There did not seem to be any foliage directly beyond her exit, but it was dark outside and she did not have the best of eyesight in such situations. Then her mind gave her pause and almost made her want to turn back around and wait to face the surely enraged daiyoukai. What about other youkai?

She had no weapon with her. She had nothing. Nada. Zip. She was easy prey for any youkai who crossed her path. Well, maybe not any just _any _youkai, but still. Then the image of Sesshoumaru's face, the one burned into her mind as she'd forced her way through his barrier, came to mind and Kagome inched forward even faster. Youkai or no youkai, she wasn't being caught in this place by that creature.

When her head was finally free of the confining space of her tunnel to freedom, Kagome gave herself a second to rest and to breathe a sigh of relief. On top of not being able to understand how people could be afraid of the dark, she had never previously understood how people could be claustrophobic. Now she knew better. While she wasn't afraid of such things herself, she had a better understanding of what those who were felt.

Her rest taken, Kagome shimmied the rest of the way out and stood—very satisfied with herself. Then she turned and looked to see where exactly she was.

"Oh, Kami," she whispered into the empty night air. "I'm screwed."

***

Sesshoumaru looked over those under his care. Rin was asleep, curled into a fetal position, while Ah-Un lay protectively around her small form. Jaken was sprawled out on his back not far away from his ward. His small, clawed hand was gripping the staff of two heads as if he expected it to jump up and run away. His mouth was moving in his sleep, mumbling. Whatever he was saying, Sesshoumaru could not make it out even with his acute sense of hearing. It mattered not, though. As long as Jaken did what he was told and remained useful, Sesshoumaru had no desire to pry where the imp was concerned.

There were no dangers around them.

Allowing himself a moment, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and stretched out his senses to find the miko. He knew she had awoken. He knew she was now trying to escape the place he had put her in. He also knew she was bleeding. It wasn't a mortal wound. She only had scrapes on her body from her hurried attempt to get away. Through his connection, he could sense every emotion she was feeling. He could taste her innocence. He could feel her determination to be free.

It would not happen, but he would allow her to think so. Such was one of the thrills of the hunt.

Standing, Sesshoumaru walked over to where Jaken was sleeping. A brief kick to the little youkai's side brought the imp to instant attention. Jaken jumped to his feet and promptly began his usual groveling. "Jaken," Sesshoumaru said, instantly silencing the adoration pouring from the imp's lips. "Watch Rin."

"Yes, my Lord. Of course, my Lord. I am your most humble servant. I would--"

"Jaken."

Bulbous eyes widened notably. "Y..yes, my Lord?"

"Be silent."

"Yes, my Lord. Of course, my Lord."

Turning away from the imp, Sesshoumaru stalked off into the darkness. He would give the miko a bit more time to run by walking to his destination. What fun was a chase when it was over too soon?

He growled with appreciation of what was to come.

***

Kagome hugged her body against the rock wall behind her and stared with wide-eyed at the drop-off before her. A feeling of amusement, not her own, ran through her mind right then and she scowled. She knew it was Sesshoumaru. She could feel him more clearly now that she was free of her prison.

Little by little she was realizing why her emotions and thoughts had been so scattered and jumbled. It was because of him and what he had done to her. This last dream had come back to her with perfect clarity. Even when Sesshoumaru had taken control once more, she recalled what they had done and she remembered what Sesshoumaru had told her about mating marks. In taking her blood into himself and in giving her his own, he was sharing his essence with her and taking her own for him. In dreams they were not sharing blood or strength. No, they were sharing their spiritual energy--which was probably why she was able to break through his barrier--and everything she had been feeling were the aftereffects.

When he'd spoken of mating marks, he had said it was only a partial sharing of a youkai's essence with his chosen female. Yet when he spoke of what he expected of her, he was speaking of something more than that, she knew. He wanted more than just a simple youkai mating from her. He wanted all of her. Would she give it to him? Could she deny him? When she stood in his presence...

Brushing the thought away, Kagome walked forward to the edge of the drop-off. She peered over the side and looked down. For all she could see, the drop-off led to an eternal fall. She knew there was land down there somewhere, but she could not tell how high up the mountain she was. The ledge she had crawled out onto was not very wide and there appeared to be no hand or foot holds for her to climb on. She could not safely go up or down.

Moving back from the ledge because she did not trust the ground she was standing on to not crumble underneath her feet, Kagome took a deep breath and did the first thing she always did when she found herself in situations like this. She yelled for her hanyou. "Inuyasha!"

Her voice sliced through the night air and then was swallowed by the darkness. Kagome stood there, knowing that no Inuyasha would be coming to rescue her, but it felt better to follow a process than to proceed blindly. After a moment, she fell back down onto her hands and knees and tried to wonder if there was any other time in her life when she'd spent so much time crawling--besides when she was an infant. Crawling down the length of the ledge, she came to where it melded and ended against the mountainside. Squinting her eyes to try and see better, Kagome thought she made out another ledge maybe five feet away from the one she was currently on. This ledge looked wider and as if it went on farther than hers.

Decision made, Kagome stood and rubbed her sweating hands down the length of her now ruined kimono. The dirt she'd picked up from crawling on the ground would never come out the silk, but, she told herself, she didn't care. This belonged to Sesshoumaru. Not her.

Taking a few large steps backwards, Kagome eyed her destination, telling herself to look nowhere else, and ran. When she reached the end of the ledge she was on, she pushed off with both legs as hard as she could and stretched her hands out in front of her.

She had misjudged the distance between the two ledges, but was more than grateful to realize she'd thought it farther than it was. Her body slammed into the unforgiving ground and skidded across it before coming to rest against a small bolder. Hissing as the burn of her scrapes reached her overtaxed nerves, Kagome pushed herself upright and looked around her new place of resting.

This ledge was larger and ran farther back, sloping downward. Downward was good. Pushing herself upright, Kagome ignored the small rocks that bit into the bottom of her bare feet and let herself feel a small measure of pride over her accomplishment.

Keeping one hand against the side of the mountain, Kagome walked forward slowly because she could still barely see where she was going. The ledge was almost like a path and wound downward, crisscrossing the mountain's steep side. Eventually it ended with maybe a ten foot drop to the ground below. Taking a deep breath and crouching down as low as she could, Kagome jumped forward.

She landed on her feet and then promptly fell back onto her backside. The ground beneath her was soft with grasses and moss, but not soft enough to provide a comfortable landing. Groaning as quietly as she could, Kagome forced herself to stand once more. Her eyes swept the darkened forest she had jumped into. Spreading out her senses, she searched to see if any youkais or humans were around, but there was nothing. Only the life that belonged in the forest moved about.

Hearing water, Kagome headed towards the sound. Inuyasha had trouble tracking scents when it rained. She prayed it was the same for Sesshoumaru.

***

As he drew near the entrance to her holding place, Tenseiga vibrated heavily at his side. Sesshoumaru clamped his hand down on the hilt of the blade. "Be silent," he ordered.

The blade's shaking increased and Sesshoumaru gave a low soundless growl. Tenseiga had been speaking to him almost nonstop since he had discovered the miko. It did not agree with his handling of her, nor his thoughts where she was concerned. It wanted him to accept and treat the miko as if she were the treasure she was suppose to be and it did not want him to hurt her ever again.

He easily knocked aside his own barrier and reabsorbed the youki that he'd put into its creation. His eyes swept the cavern she'd left behind and settled on her clothing and footwear. The miko had been so intent on leaving him she had not thought her actions through. _A typical human error to make, _he thought.

Her heavenly scent was still heavy in the air. Where she'd fallen upon the ground after breaking through his barrier, Sesshoumaru could still feel the heat of her body. His eyes easily caught the trail she'd left behind as she'd crawled up the tunnel on her hands and knees. The thought of such a sight brought a smile to his lips.

Sniffing the air, it was easy to see in what direction she'd gone. This particular cavern had one entrance into it, the others long ago sealed by himself, but that tunnel split into several different fractions. The miko had taken off down one of the side tunnels. It had not been a conscious decision. She was human and could not see in the darkness as he could. Crawling on her hands and knees, she had been blindingly feeling the ground ahead of her and going where the way seemed clear.

As he followed after her trail, already knowing where she'd gone but wanting to see for himself anyway, he could taste on his tongue exactly where she'd broken her skin open and bled. He found himself rumbling with contentment at the smell. Sesshoumaru locked his hold down on the creature within him. He wanted to remain in control for this hunt.

When he reached the small opening she had gone through, Sesshoumaru leaned down and placed his palm upon the ground. She'd laid here a long while, scooting slowly though the opening. There was a small piece of white silk clinging to a jagged stone. Taking it into his hand, he lifted it up to his nose and inhaled deeply. Then he tucked the piece of silk into the inside of his kimono. Satisfied that he'd seen enough, Sesshoumaru turned and walked calmly back the way he had come. Taking the correct path out, he easily maneuvered himself so that he was standing on the same ledge she had exited out onto.

The miko had stood here for some time. Debating her path? Then she'd jumped to the ledge that neighbored this one—a dangerous decision to make, but a bold move all the same. If she had not made the leap, she would have died. There were no possible holds beneath this ledge and the ground was far below. Her human body would have been shattered. Sesshoumaru had not expected her to take such chances. Her determination nearly rivaled his own.

Leaping to the ledge she had taken, he slowly followed her trail downward. When he landed on the forest floor, Sesshoumaru sent out a wave of his youki. He wanted to warn the miko that he was coming.

***

Kagome was fighting the chill of the water as she waded upstream in the shallow river she'd found when his wave of youki washed over her. Immediately her instincts sent her body into shivers not associated with the cold. Wanting to douse her odor as much as possible, she ducked down into the water and let out a gasp as the cold hit her fully. She couldn't stay down for long. The water's chill was too much for her take.

Sesshoumaru felt the instant his youki washed over her and he heard her gasp as she dunked her body down into the water. The girl was going to make herself ill if she continued with these foolish actions. Perhaps he would not allow this hunt to last as long as he'd thought to? What use, after all, was the girl if she fell to a human failing… _Humans,_ he thought, his usual disdain for the species rising within him. _They are so weak. Easily dispatched. How is it that she is the one chosen to complete me? _

At his side, Tenseiga pulsed with answers, but Sesshoumaru ignored it.

Kagome couldn't take the cold any longer and left the water. Looking behind her, even though there was little she could see, she was dismayed to realize that she had not crossed much ground since leaving the mountainside. Walking in the cold water had slowed her down and hadn't been a good idea to begin with. Of course Sesshoumaru's senses were sharper than Inuyasha's. He could probably hear her heart beating even from this distance.

Running from him was a futile effort, but she had to at least try. One never knew if they could succeed unless an attempt was made, after all. At least, that is what Jiji had always told her.

She pressed onward through the thick stand of trees. Her miko senses could feel Sesshoumaru's strong youki drawing nearer. As much as she did not want to give into her fear, she could not stop it from rising up within her.

Then he had her.

Kagome came to a skidding stop. Sesshoumaru was directly ahead of her, standing in the darkness. She took a step back and suddenly he was there behind her. He'd moved so fast she could not have possibly tracked him. "Miko," he purred, his deceptive voice soft but deadly. "Why do you insist on running from this Sesshoumaru?"

She didn't answer. Her instincts took over and she flew forward, away from the obvious threat at her back, with energy she didn't know she had. The effort was useless. She hadn't even gone forward a few steps when she felt his hand upon her shoulder, his grip like steel as he clamped down upon her. Frightened beyond anything, Kagome let out an ear-piercing scream. Then she was jerked back against the hardness of his armor and Sesshoumaru's hand moved to cover her mouth and save his ears. "Cease," he ordered, his voice rough.

Sesshoumaru felt the energy of her miko abilities swarming within her. Her reasonable, for a human, mind was shutting down and her instincts of fight or flight were taking over. Leaning down, he inhaled her scent. It was the strongest it had ever been before. Not being able to stop himself, he ran his tongue up the side of her throat, relishing the taste of her once more. His tongue moved to her small human lobe and he latched onto it, giving it a small nip to show his disapproval of her actions. "You should take more care, miko," he whispered into her ear. He enjoyed the power his voice had over her. The miko's swelling energy had dissipated the instant his tongue had touched her, but, at the sound of his voice, her entire body had calmed.

Kagome was confused. Where was the anger she had been expecting? At the feeling of his tongue sliding across her skin, her heart skipped a beat. This was something a lover would do. She winced as he nipped at her ear, but she had been around enough dogs to know what that action meant. Then he'd whispered into her ear, soft and seductively. What was going on? Then he was nudging her with his nose, asking for her to bare more of her throat to him. Unsure of the control she had over her body at the moment, she felt herself give into his demands. He let loose a soft growl of approval and then his lips were there where his tongue had been, moving slowly and softly across her. He was tasting her skin, inhaling her scent. His youki was dancing across her body, feeling like fingers stroking and caressing. He was everywhere and Kagome felt her eyes close against the sensation. Then his lips were back to her ear. "Now, miko. This game of yours has been ended and I will claim my prize."

Her eyes snapped open again. The slow melting her body had been in the process of ceased. She remembered where she was and who she was with. Then, somehow, she found her voice, but what came out of her mouth was not what she had wanted to say. "And what would that be, Sesshoumaru?"

In response to her query, he smiled.

***


	9. Chapter 9

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Nine ~

MIROKU sat across from Ungai, a low table containing two cups of tea and a plate of light repasts between them. It had been hours since he had come into the village, but Master Ungai had insisted he had other business to settle first before having the time to speak with him. He knew that Ungai was only testing him, offering insult to see how he would accept it. And so, Miroku had merely bided his time in meditation and prayer. He had ventured back towards Shippou and Kirara to tell them what he'd found and to ease his own rumbling stomach. It was also to distance himself from the entirely too enticing population of females inhabiting this village. Where had so many lovelies come from and why hadn't he noticed them before? Surely, in their wanderings, they had come through this particular village before.

Ah, the price and pain of lechery. Truly, it was an art form.

"Miroku," Ungai said in his gravelly voice. "You may begin telling me why you seek my aid now."

Miroku picked up his cup of tea and took a light sip. The brew was of fine quality. "The situation we have found ourselves in, Master Ungai, centers around the young priestess that is traveling with us, the Lady Kagome, current guardian of the Shikon no Tama," Miroku began. "It appears she has become something of an interest to the daiyoukai, Sesshoumaru."

Ungai listened, his face a showing his dislike every time Miroku mentioned a youkai. The old monk had hardened ideas on them that no single situation was ever likely to change and—if what the monk before him was telling him was true—his ideals were more than correct. Humans and youkai were too different. They did not occupy the same lifeline and should _never_ coincide at the same moment of time. And they most definitely should never join. He had tried to warn the priestess of this, much as he tried to warn the young girl that had chosen to travel with that foul youkai instead of returning to her own kind. After all the time that had passed since that day, Ungai still found himself focusing on it. It troubled him, what he saw the future becoming. And now the same young woman he had tried to help had found herself in grave danger because she had refused to listen to common sense and the knowledge of one more experienced than she.

If only he had persevered in his insistence with the girl, then perhaps she would not be where she was. Of course, it may be the will of the Kamis that this had come to pass. The daiyoukai, Sesshoumaru, was dangerous. He was the strongest youkai Ungai had ever come across and had resisted all attempts to be purified. Now, though, the daiyoukai had chosen to bond himself on an unholy level with the young priestess. Yes, this could be promising. With the priestess's aid, Ungai could now destroy the one who had gotten away. "There is a chance to save your young friend from this unholy happening," Ungai said when the monk before him had ceased his explanation. "I will help you."

***

The miko's heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She was afraid, nervous, hesitant, confused, accepting, and defiant. Sesshoumaru pulled her frail human body tighter against himself, sharing his warmth. Her clothing was still soaked, water puddling beneath her feet before being soaked back into the earth. She was shivering, both from fright and from the cold.

Sesshoumaru allowed himself to close his eyes and breathe in her scent again. He lowered his mouth from her ear to her neck once more, placing his lips upon her pulse point. Her skin felt surprisingly soft underneath his touch—more so than he had noticed with his hand. His tongue darted out for another taste of her skin. She jumped at the feel of his touch. It would never be enough, he knew. He would never satisfy his desire for this female, this human. And it still surprised him, shocked him, and even disgusted him. Never. Never would he have believed himself capable of reaching this point—especially with a human female. Yet this small girl had torn through inner barriers that had remained untouched by another for hundreds of years in less than the cycle of the moon.

…while he had yet to even graze against her own inner barriers that would allow him full access to her. Something was holding him back. Something was not entirely complete. What was it?

"Miko," he intoned softly against her skin, letting the vibration of his voice serve as another form of touch. The feel of her was beyond anything he had ever known before. His desire for her spiked and he had to take a firm hold of his body before it betrayed him to his prey. "This Sesshoumaru would have the answers."

_Answers?_ her mind screamed. _Answers?! _It had not been what she had expected. Especially as his youki was still caressing her, sliding across her wet body like gentle fingers, and his lips were working their way slowly back up her neck towards her ear. _Do whatever he says_, her mind stated. Kagome wanted to shake her head no, but she couldn't move. The feelings he was invoking in her she had never felt before. As a human, as a woman, she craved such experience. Touch was one of a human's greatest senses and she was young still. Inexperienced. _No_, she told herself. She would not fall into this trap he was laying for her. It was just another tactic to get to her. Like the dreams had been.

While she had been arguing with herself, his mouth was back to roving over the skin of her throat, as if it wanted to devour her entirely. A moan of contentment that she did not want to release slipped out from her lips. Sesshoumaru let out another low, pleased growl. The sound vibrated through his chest and then through her, warming her impossibly. "Why...," she managed to say, pausing with a silent gasp as he suckled harder at one particular point. "Why do you like my throat so much?"

He almost reprimanded her for daring to question him. Had he not made it clear that she was to be giving him answers? Then he stopped himself. He was holding back his anger to get the miko to lay more trust in him. If he gained her trust, her devotion was sure to follow. "I have already told you of this, miko. Do you not recall?"

_He had?_ Kagome racked her muddled mind, made even slower by the feeling of him moving against her. _He had._ The throat was a vulnerable point. To offer it to another was a show of the bearer giving dominance over themselves to the one they were giving it to.

"And your scent," he continued when he felt the miko dawn with remembrance. He buried his face into her wet hair and pulled in a deep breath. "Is so strong here."

Not wanting to continue on this course, afraid of where it was going, Kagome steeled herself. She tried to move away from his embrace, to face him and look in his eyes, but his body locked around hers, holding it in place. "What answers do you seek?" she barely managed to get out as his warmth invaded her further.

Inside, Sesshoumaru smiled to himself. His plan was working accordingly. "Your unconscious thoughts. Explain."

It took Kagome a moment to realize he was speaking about the dream she'd just had. Before he had confused her, she could have recalled the dream with perfect ease. Now it was as if something had come along and swiped the memory away. And she knew who had done so.

Sensing her struggle, Sesshoumaru offered her a beginning. "You called me to you."

"I didn't call you!" she protested. "Why would I do that?"

"Miko, do not argue with this one. I have told you before not to do so. I am not Inuyasha and will not tolerate such behavior. You will answer this Sesshoumaru's questions. Now."

Kagome knew that tone even though it was disguised in softness. It was the same one he'd used when speaking to her at the well. Had she called him? "I...I don't know what happened. I was just tired of seeing those flowers all the time."

She was not lying. Her heart rate, while thumping wildly in her chest because of what he was doing to her, did not carry the beat of deception. "Nonetheless, miko, you called this Sesshoumaru to you. Why?"

"I don't know! Do you actually think I enjoy having you in my mind?"

She was so gullible. Slowly he was learning how best to manipulate her into doing as he desired. "I know you do, miko. You forget who you are talking to."

"Oh," was all she could say. What more was there _to_ say? She had been afraid of him in the beginning; viewing the dreams as nightmares as he had intended her to. Then the dreams had changed and, while she had not been able to consciously remember them then, she knew that they were not frightening. She'd felt...pleasure upon waking. Now that she knew the truth she wasn't sure what she felt, but it was not fear.

Silence fell between them while Sesshoumaru waited patiently for her to continue. He rested his face against her throat, not touching her so that she could gather her thoughts. When it became apparent that the miko was not going to heed his silent request to continue, he prodded her gently with his nose to remind her to continue. "Where did you take me, miko?"

_Where?_ her mind repeated. The dream flashed before her eyes. "We...we went to my home."

"Yes. You called it such. Where is your home, miko?"

She didn't want to answer, but her body was betraying her. The longer he touched her, the more she wanted to give in. "In Tokyo."

"And where is this Tokyo?"

"It's...it's in the future. Or a possible one."

Somehow he was not surprised by her reply. It explained so much. The unanswered questions found meaning. The missing points snapped into place. He already knew the answer, but he had to ask just to hear the sound of her voice. "And do you know me during this time?"

"N..no."

"You came here with the Shikon no Tama. It is what brought you here."

His question sounded more like a statement, but Kagome knew what her role was. She was to confirm what he already knew. "Yes. I was born with it inside of me. I am the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyou."

Another question answered. During the time he had been within Kagome, sharing her essence, he had felt as if there was something missing, something more, something that needed to be returned to its rightful place. "I have spoken with the dead priestess," he said, picturing her image in his mind after he'd witnessed her pushing Kagome down the well. He had let her live because her actions had held no effect against him. What had he cared if his brother's wench was alive or not? Now that thought made him rage possessively inside. If only he had known then what he knew now, the dead priestess would be dead again. Wanting confirmation, he asked, "How is it that she came to be alive once more, miko? And do not think to lie to this Sesshoumaru."

Kagome paused. She knew exactly how Kikyou had become among the living once more. A body of clay and bones, Kikyou shared a piece of her soul. She was sure, with his inu nose, he could tell that she was resurrected, but did he know how? Was he merely testing her to see what she would say? If he did not know of this and she told Sesshoumaru, what would he do? She knew. He would find Kikyou and return the part of her soul that had been torn, unwillingly, from her body so that he could reach his own goals. But she couldn't betray Kikyou nor Inuyasha in that way. It was not in her nature to do so. No matter what Kikyou had done to her throughout the years, Kagome had felt almost nothing but pity for the dead priestess. Almost.

Kikyou had been robbed of her life and love unfairly through the deceptions of Naraku. Then her mind had been brought back to consciousness through the vile manipulations of another and she'd been given nothing but anger and hatred to feed off of.

She felt him stiffen behind her. She felt the anger in him that was not directed towards her, but towards Kikyou. No words needed to be spoken for him to gain what information she had. _But how?_ How could he have known something like that without her having to speak?

His clawed hand moved to the wrist that held his mark and he squeezed it lightly to let her know how he knew the answers. He was reading her emotions as anyone else would read the written word. "Our connection grows stronger, miko. Why do you continue to fight it?"

"I don't want this."

"I can sense and smell your desire."

"I don't love you," Kagome protested. "And you don't love me."

"You know me so very well, miko. I do not want your love. The emotion is a weakness, causing men and great youkais," he added, thinking of his great and terrible father, "To fall to their doom. It is a fate that shall never be mine. What I want from you goes beyond your pathetic human emotions. And I will have it. Do not mistake the patience I am granting you by thinking you have a choice in the matter."

It was his tone that gave her pause. She broke her away from his touch, ignoring his growl of disapproval, and turned to face him. He allowed her to move, keeping his contact with her wrist. Her eyes looked up into his, but they were cold again. So very cold. More than anything she wanted to see the fire of warmth that she'd seen in her dreams burn there in reality. He didn't love her, she knew. He did not know, refused to even try and understand, the emotion. Yet he wanted her to love him, be devoted to him, to give him her everything…

Not taking her eyes off of Sesshoumaru, she reached her free hand over to his. He allowed her to manipulate his thumb, placing it over the crescent mark she carried on her person, now as dark and vivid as the one he carried on his brow. Then, before she could think better of it, she pressed his sharpened claw down into her flesh, wincing at the sting it cause her. His eyes widened momentarily, the surprise of her actions not having time to be hidden by his careful mask. Then she broke contact with his eyes and looked down at what she had done.

Her hand easily removed his own and Kagome watched her own blood rise to the surface of her skin, brought there by her own doing. What was she thinking? She wasn't sure. She only knew she needed to feel, to see, the longing in him once more. Not usually one to prefer hard, cold fact over fantasy, Kagome was as surprised by her actions as he was. But seeing that look in his eyes, directed at her, was a more potent drug than any she knew of. So it was without regret or thought that she raised her hand out to him and watched as his mouth closed over her wound.

Give and take. Push and pull. Such were the ways of Yin-yang.

***

It felt like they had been searching for days but in reality it had only been two. Sango knew it because her body was worn out. Use to hard travel in their searches for the shards, her body was adjusting to the lack of sleep the hanyou allowed her, but her limits were being tested by said hanyou. Even being carried on his back was tiring. Never one to complain, though, she held her tongue as much as she possibly could where Inuyasha was concerned.

She had never spent a great deal of time alone with the hanyou and she was now, more than ever, seeing the benefit to Kagome's subjugation beads. If only they would work for her...

"Are you done yet?" Inuyasha asked in the demanding tone that had been constant since their departure from Kaede's.

Sango looked up from the stream she was crouched by and glared at the half-breed. She itched the strike out at him for his impatience, but she knew too well what was driving him.

Kagome.

Not bothering to answer the impatient hanyou, Sango scooped herself up another drink and stood, stretching her sore muscles. Inuyasha huffed at her silence and offered her his back. "I'd like to walk some."

"Walk?! We need to find Kikyou now!"

"Are you worried about her more or about Kagome?" Sango asked, wincing as the question ran from her lips before she could stop herself. She couldn't help that she'd thought it. How many times had she seen her dearest friend hurt by Inuyasha's indecision? Of course, Inuyasha had not run off after Kikyou with the intentions of hurting Kagome. He'd been confused, lost, eaten up by his guilt, and then later controlled by his desire for revenge.

Sango expected Inuyasha's denial and anger at her words, but when nothing happened she looked back to her friend. Inuyasha stood there, looking more dejected than she had ever seen him. His eyes showed his hurt at her words. Then he turned away from her and started walking without a word. Sango hurried to run after him. "Inuyasha, wait!"

"What, Sango?" he asked, his anger back.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Whatever. Doesn't matter to me what you think, anyway." Inuyasha continued walking on. "Well, hurry up already! We gotta find Kikyou and protect her from that bastard. That damn monk better hurry up and find something already."

Sango stood there a moment staring off after Inuyasha. She knew it did matter and she knew she'd hurt him more than she thought possible with her words. His faith in himself was already shaken and she'd just added another stone to his back.

***

"There is a mountain shrine that I know of that is protected by holy powers centuries old. Its name has been lost to time, but not its purpose. Long ago powerful youkais were taken-- by force or coercion-- there to be disposed of. If this Sesshoumaru is taken to this place, we have a chance to save your young priestess," Ungai explained. "The entrapment of the youkai's spirit, however, cannot happen unless it is the will of the girl. From what you have told me, the daiyoukai has already created a foothold in her soul."

Miroku had never heard of such a place. "The will of the girl?"

"The young priestess must want this to happen. It is her hand that must trap him."

"And if the priestess is unwilling to do so? Is there not something more than can be done?"

Ungai did not understand the monk's question. Surely the young priestess did not wish to actually combine her life force with that of a youkai? It was inconceivable—especially if she were of spiritual origins. "She must do it," he insisted.

Miroku knew what Ungai was saying and he understood the monk's views, but he also knew Kagome. She would not wish ill on anyone if she could help it. Not even Sesshoumaru. The only one who she would willingly harm in any way was Naraku, but that wasn't out of her personal desire to do so. It was because of how much Naraku had done to those she cared about. Deciding not to try and attempt to explain the Lady Kagome to a man incapable of understanding, Miroku asked the next question on his mind. "Master Ungai, what happens to the youkai spirit that is trapped there? Can it ever be freed?"

"Never. It is sentenced to eternal torment in its own fires. A fitting end."

"While it is promising to hear of such a place, Master Ungai, I have my doubts as to its ability to trap a daiyoukai of Sesshoumaru's strength. I have had far more run-ins with him than you. His youki is strong."

"This will not fail, monk," Ungai said, his tone sure and final. "If it does, I know of nothing else that may save your friend from damnation. For that is what she faces if she ties herself to the youkai."

"And how are we to get him there?"

Ungai smiled to himself. Now was his chance to kill two birds with one stone. He had not forgotten the rude hanyou that traveled with his monk even though the monk had not mentioned him. "The priestess has strong ties to another in your group, does she not?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," Miroku answered hesitantly.

"The hanyou, if I recall, that stood by her side when last we met."

"His name is Inuyasha. He is Sesshoumaru's half-brother."

_Interesting_, Ungai thought, but he did not reveal his thinking to the monk before him. "It is even better that he has ties to the both of them. With his blood we may create a calling. The girl will sense his need of her and come to him, one way or another. The daiyoukai will follow her. And then we will trap him."

"Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are not exactly close, Master Ungai. And I highly doubt Sesshoumaru would just allow the Lady Kagome to go after him."

"A problem for later discussion, perhaps? It takes time to ready the ceremony necessary for entrapping a youkai's spirit. Myself and my acolytes will go to the shrine and begin preparations. You must bring the hanyou to us."

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, stressing the use of his friend's name, "Is seeking and protecting the priestess, Lady Kikyou. She holds a part of Kagome's soul and we believe Sesshoumaru might try to strike against her."

This bit of information was even more interesting than the relations between the hanyou and the daiyoukai. He had heard of the tale of the Lady Kikyou, the last guardian of the Shikon no Tama. It was a tale he used to show why humans and youkai could not co-exist when he spoke to the masses. The pure priestess had given her heart to a youkai and been slain because of it. He had no idea the Lady Kikyou had been resurrected. The priestess's soul needed to be put to rest. She could not continue to walk the land as such an abomination. "I have heard of the Lady Kikyou. Her tale is one of woe. If she brought to the shrine, she will be safe there."

Miroku nodded his head. He hadn't wanted to reveal so much information to Ungai, but it had been necessary to place a minute amount of trust in the monk to gain the information and answers he sought. Besides, there was nothing Ungai could do with the information he'd learned. And if Ungai had truly wanted to know such things, he could have easily found them out for himself.

He would take what he had learned from this and discuss it further with both the Lady Kaede and with Sango and Inuyasha. "I cannot make the final decision, Master Ungai. I must speak with the others first."

"What is there to debate? The longer you wait the less chance we have of saving your friend."

"Nonetheless, I must speak with them. It is not my place to decide the actions of my friends. We work as a team."

"Very well, Miroku. I and my acolytes shall begin the journey to the mountain shrine. When you have decided that there are no other options, you will find me there."

"And where is there, Master Ungai?"

Ungai handed over an aged scroll. "This scroll I have carried on my person since its discovery. It will lead you to the shrine, where you may return it."

Miroku took the scroll in hand. He could feel the faint spiritual residue that had been embedded into the scroll. Youkai hands were not meant to touch this piece of parchment, which lent truth to Ungai's words. Bowing in respect to Ungai, Miroku stood. "I thank you for your time, Master Ungai."

Ungai returned his bow with a slight nod of his head. "We shall see each other again soon, I'm sure," he replied.

***


	10. Chapter 10

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Ten ~

MIROKU had stopped briefly in Edo to speak with the Lady Kaede. She had not heard of this shrine Ungai had spoken of, either. After learning in which direction his friends had gone, he, Kirara, and Shippou headed off into that direction, as well. It was late in the night when Kirara finally sensed her mistress's scent and landed heavily, tired from her past days travel, in the clearing where Sango and Inuyasha were camped for the evening. Miroku moved quickly off the fire cat's back, aware of how tired Kirara was, and then turned to face the expectant faces of his comrades. "Well?" Inuyasha said when he remained silent.

He looked around but his friends appeared to be alone. "Where is the Lady Kikyou?"

"Haven't found her," Inuyasha mumbled.

"We are tracking the last sighting," Sango added. "In a village a few miles back, they said she headed into this direction."

Miroku nodded his head in understanding and moved over to the fire. He resisted the urge to sit beside Sango and her lovely backside, knowing he needed his mind about him now. "I spoke with Ungai and he has agreed to aid us."

"And how is that waste supposed to help us?"

Miroku, after having endured Ungai's presence for a day, did not bother correcting the hanyou's insult. "Ungai spoke of a shrine once used to entrap youkai spirits. He believes the holy wards there strong enough to hold even Sesshoumaru."

"Ha! Only youki attacks hurt Sesshoumaru."

"He was quite insistent that this would work. He also said that it must be Kagome's hand that entraps him."

"Oh yeah..." Inuyasha said, getting into the topic sarcastically. He was tired, he was hungry, he was missing Kagome's soothing presence, and every day without her was a reminder of his failing. "We'll just go find the bastard and ask him to take a little walk with us. Or better yet, tell him to let Kagome go on a little walk to a place probably pulsing with holy energy. And the bastard's sure to agree with us on this."

"Inuyasha, you at not helping," Sango snapped.

Miroku could see the fire in her eyes that was normally directed at him and the way Inuyasha was holding himself stiffly where he sat. He was most happy that he had not been with these two the past few days. Their temperaments were volatile when they chose to be—Inuyasha's more so than Sango's—but Miroku had been a firsthand witness to her displays of anger many times. "And what are you doin?!"

Sighing to himself, Miroku decided to continue telling the information he had gleaned from Ungai. "I informed Ungai of the possible troubles we would have in directing Sesshoumaru to the shrine. He said a calling spell could be formed using your blood, Inuyasha, that would draw him in."

"A calling spell?" Sango knew of such things. They were not lightly used and could be dangerous; to both the one being called and the one used in the spell. She informed her companions about what she knew, forgetting that she was angry with Inuyasha. Current feelings aside, she did not wish Inuyasha harm. "Did he have nothing else to offer us?"

"He said it was the only way he knew how."

"That Ungai is full of--"

Inuyasha suddenly paused, his body going stiff. He sniffed at the air and then stood. Because he did not withdraw his weapon, both Miroku and Sango knew that it wasn't danger he smelled. Still, it was never wise to discount the fact that, while the apparently approaching person meant them no harm, trouble always seemed to follow them wherever they went. They stood, hands on their weapons. "What is it, Inuyasha?"

He wasn't given time to answer as one of Kikyou's soul collectors flew into their campsite, circling before withdrawing back into the trees. A moment later Kikyou stepped out into the clearing. Her eyes looked them over, coming to rest on Inuyasha last. "Inuyasha. Why have you been following me?"

"Kikyou..."

Miroku, sensing Inuyasha's loss of speech, stepped forward and offered the Lady Kikyou a bow of respect. "Forgive us for intruding upon you, Lady Kikyou, but we have needed to speak with you."

"Does this concern Naraku?"

"No, Lady Kikyou, but--"

"Then I have nothing to speak with you about," she interrupted coldly. Then she turned and made to walk back the way she had come from. She had almost disappeared from view when she stopped and turned back around, looking them over once more before finally realizing not all was as it usually was. "Where is Kagome?"

***

He was angered. No. He was more than angered. He was... No. It was something he had never felt before and that was why he felt so...so agitated. The miko had fallen after giving herself to him. Her body was weak from the cold. Her aura was depleted from giving to him. She had given of herself and taken nothing in return. Why? He had to know.

Cradling her weakened body with his mokomoko-sama and his one arm, he carried her back to the very prison she had been trying to escape from. The miko offered no argument or struggle; too weak he assumed. When he walked into the cavern room, he erected his barrier, adding her own strength, which she had freely given, to make it stronger. He laid her down onto the bedding he'd procured for her and still she offered no protest. She did not even speak. The quiet of her unnerved him. He was use to her constantly talking—even if it was only in his mind. The miko was never still. "Why?" he asked, needing to break this silence that had descended between them.

The miko looked up at him with glazed eyes. "I wanted to see your eyes," she said in answer.

Her words were not good enough. They did not give him the information he sought. "Why?" he asked again.

"When I give myself to you," she answered, a slight blush rising on her face. Her emotions were hard to dismiss. She was feeling anxiety, embarrassment, fear, and loathing. Why loathing? "Afterwards you look at me as if I am the only person in the world. As if I mean something to you. As if...you love me."

There were her words of love again. And with that word her weakened aura flared bright for a moment before settling down to comfort her own body once more. "Love," he said. "You speak often of love, miko."

She smiled, but it was weak. It did not make her eyes shine as it usually did. "Love makes the world go round?" she offered weakly in response. He could tell she was not up for a debate over her ideals right now. Her usually sharp wit was lacking.

He huffed at her ideals. Where had the miko learned such thoughts? "Life is about pain, miko," Sesshoumaru informed her, making his voice hard. He could still feel her aura dancing around with his own. She had given more than he had thought she could that night. The feelings she had were prodding insistently in his mind. He would not stand for it. If he made her feel pain, if he hurt her, her aura would cease trying to make him into something he was not. Of this he was sure. "Life is about struggle _and_ pain. Such is the way things are."

"No...," she protested faintly.

A faint smile came to her face as she remembered something and he knew, he _knew_, she was thinking of his half-brother. For some reason, the thought that she was thinking of Inuyasha at that moment in time enraged him. Grabbing hold of the anger, he forced it back for later thought. Now was not the time to act rashly. The miko had made a bold step forward in the bonding process tonight. He could not risk that. "Everything has meaning," she continued. "We may not like the meaning it has, but there is meaning for everything."

Her thoughts struck a chord with him. He who had lived far longer than this _human_ before him knew that what she said was true. Why did she have to have such thoughts? It would have been easier if she had remained merely an unintelligible being. But no, how could she be his true mate if she were not at least relatively educated? Had she not already proved her mental strength in an earlier discussion? "You always seek meaning, miko," he replied, keeping his tone scathing. He wanted to hurt her as he was hurting. It was the first time in an eternity that someone had been able to strike him as deeply as she had. And she hadn't even been trying to. That was probably what made the hurt feel so much greater than any before. "Your heart is foolish and weak. Your belief in the strength and validity of such emotions as love weakens you. It is a foolish endeavor you have taken on."

"It is not foolish," she argued. "I know what I see in your eyes."

He scoffed. "You attribute this Sesshoumaru to having _human_ emotions, miko. Love is one of those and it is something I do not feel. You mistake who you are speaking with. I am not Inuyasha."

"No," she said again. Her voice seemed stronger even though she was not. The faith she held in this emotion was so great it was almost unbelievable. "I know what I see."

He needed to crush this. He needed to end it here and now. If he did not... His mind would not let him see the consequences. At his side Tenseiga pulsed almost irritably, painfully. Sesshoumaru clamped his hand down on the sword, willing it to be silent. "You misunderstand, miko," he said, his voice becoming even more flat and more cold than it had been before. "You speak of your love while I speak of something more. I do not love you. That is a human trait that does not apply to me. All I want is the power you have to give me. You are nothing but a tool. It is the same role you played for my half-brother so often. I do not see why you are having problems with this."

He could see her disbelief at his words. And he could also see the hurt he caused. For some reason, he felt both ashamed of his conduct and delighted by it. He continued, needless of the pain he was causing her and wanting to cause her more. "As for what we have shared physically-- limited as it has been, miko-- what else is a mate good for? Your scent pleases me because that is what eons of instinct have insured. Why should I not enjoy it? When we are fully mated, I will take my enjoyment of you as often as I please. As the male, as the dominant one, you will submit to me. If you refuse, the consequences will not be to your liking. However, you may save your worries that you will carry my pups. I will not tolerate a hanyou. I am not my father. A full blooded bitch will bear my heir."

Her eyes widened—from concern, from disbelief. She thought he was lying and she was right. He would never betray his mate, but he needed her to think so.

As much as he did not want to pay attention to his half-brother's life, he had been drawn into the debacle of it one too many times. He knew too much where Inuyasha and the young miko were concerned. He had even conversed with the dead priestess on several occasions, when it benefited his attentions. He knew his words of infidelity would wound the miko, but that was what his mind was going for. If you could not strike physically against an opponent, then a mental strike was good as well. He had used this tactic, though less painfully, against Inuyasha several times. However, this time, for some reason, he felt remorse for his words as soon as they left his lips. Never had that happened before.

Yet the miko, despite the hurt he knew she was feeling, did not show such pains. As weakened as she was, if she truly felt the hurt he was trying to cause her, it would have shown clearly for him to see. She raised her chin, almost defiantly. "You will think what you will think," she answered, her voice as defiant as her look. "And I will think what I will think, Sesshoumaru."

He'd glared down at her, willing her to bend to his will and become what he would expect. The miko, politely, declined his request and kept the air of self about her. That infuriated him to no ends. He had to puncture himself with his own claws to keep himself from striking out against her. Turning from her prone form, ignoring his baser self which was telling him to stay and protect his weakened mate, Sesshoumaru walked towards the edge of his barrier. He stopped before he crossed it and looked at the miko over his shoulder. "Miko," he said, relishing he irritation over his refusal to use her name even though she hadn't once argued that with him. "I shall return with more sustenance and clothing. Do not attempt to leave the barrier again. And do not think to test me on this."

He could feel her feelings of denial and fight rising, but he chose to ignore them. She was a creature of such emotions and those emotions he would have to learn to accept and manipulate to his own desires.

When he finally managed to force himself to leave, Sesshoumaru wondered why he felt as if he were leaving a piece of himself behind and why he felt such pain at his parting words.

***

Kikyou had listened dispassionately as Miroku informed her of what had occurred and that she needed protecting from Sesshoumaru. At this, she had scoffed. "Think you I am so weak as to fall prey to the daiyoukai?" she had asked Inuyasha. Of all of them, Kikyou seemed only to keep her eyes on the hanyou.

"Kikyou..." Inuyasha said in response, his voice pained. He could never leave her behind in his mind and heart, but he could not accept her as she was now. This was not Kikyou. This was merely an illusion of what Kikyou had been. Kagome had helped him realize that and helped him move past this. "Kagome needs you."

"I cannot help her in this."

"You can help," the slayer said defiantly, drawing the dead priestess's attention to herself. "By staying out of Sesshoumaru's reach. At least until we are able to get Kagome back from him."

"The Lady Kagome has aided you several times in the past, Lady Kikyou," the monk added, his voice soft but his eyes hard. "When she did not have to."

Kikyou knew this. If Kagome had truly wished her ill or harm, she would not have been able to be rid of Naraku's miasma. The girl had proven her worth time and time again, but old hatred was hard to die. And hatred was all she had been given to feed off of for the longest of time. Now her hatred was turned to Naraku and to his destruction, but still some of it towards the hanyou and her reincarnation remained.

Not responding to the monk's words, she turned back to Inuyasha. "I will not stay with you. That is not an option."

"But, Kikyou--"

She held up her hand, effectively silencing Inuyasha's protests. "I know of this place you speak of. I know the dangers you walk blindly into. This will test Kagome to the limits of her strength. It is not in the nature of a miko to entrap a spirit in such a way. This shrine," and her tone suggested thoughts of loathing as this place was not such, "Is a place regarded as impure. Long ago there existed a group of priests who decided to rid the world of youkai once and for all. They stole young mikos and placed them, against their wills, with trapped low level youkai in heat. Then the mikos, tied to the youkais through force, were taken and placed into this shrine. When the youkais came for them, their spirits were trapped. Afterwards, the young mikos, no longer being pure or seen as good for anything, were slaughtered as well. This place is filled with wrongful death. It is tainted."

Her speech, the most any of them besides Inuyasha had heard her say, silenced them all. Kikyou's eyes looked them over one at a time. "Is this where you would have your friend go? Is this what you would sentence her to?"

"I would do anything to save her!" Inuyasha said.

Her eyes looked back to the hanyou, saddening as they gazed at the obvious love in them he held for this girl. Once, long ago, she could recall his eyes looking at her in that way. "This Master Ungai thinks to trap both you and Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha. He does not care about Kagome. He does not wish to help you."

"But what else can we do?!" the slayer asked.

"You could leave her be to have the life Fate has decreed."

"Never will I leave her in the hands of that bastard!"

"Inuyasha. To what fate would you have her? Staying by your side? How much longer do you believe you can keep her from harm? How much longer before she suffers the same fate as I?"

Inuyasha flinched, but the monk took an angry step forward. "Inuyasha is not the same man you knew, Lady Kikyou."

Kikyou looked at the monk who was angrily trying to stare her down. She kept contact with his eyes when she spoke. "No. No, he is not. He is softer now. More human. And it is all because of Kagome, I know." She turned back to Inuyasha. "Walk with me, Inuyasha," she ordered.

Inuyasha obediently walked after her as she turned and left his companions behind. She walked ahead of him and did not stop until she was far enough so that those she'd left behind could not overhear them. Then she turned to face the hanyou. "Tell me, Inuyasha. And do not lie. Do you love her?"

His eyes were filled with agony, but he nodded his head quickly enough. "Yes."

"Then I will aid you in her recovery, Inuyasha."

"Kikyou..."

She held up her hand again. Once more he fell silent. "This place that you wish to go to, this act you wish to perform, will place your life in danger. There is a chance you will die. You place your life in the hands of this girl. I hope you realize it."

"She is worth it."

"Am I?"

He fell silent, obviously confused and reluctant to answer her question, and Kikyou smiled sadly at him while her eyes remained hard, cold. She reached out and placed her cold hand upon the hanyou's face. He did not withdraw from her touch, but neither did he lean into it as he once would have. "I pray that she is worthy of this, Inuyasha," she whispered to her once love. Then she turned and walked away.

***

Sesshoumaru stood outside the entrance and let his aura flare. He cared not who knew he was there. His senses detected lesser youkai fleeing in fear for miles. A tight smile came to his face at the thought of one of those youkai thinking they could take him down. Killing something would surely ease the pain he was feeling.

Then the thought, the remembrance came to him. The dead priestess. Yes, she was a barrier in their bonding process. How could he take advantage of all the power the miko held when she was not whole herself? And why had this thought not occurred to him before now? Wait. It had occurred to him, but he had not acted on it yet. Why was he waiting? The dead priestess would be easy to find. Her smell of clay and death was traceable for miles for one such as himself. The answer, he knew, was the woman he'd left in the cavern behind his barrier. He had sensed the miko's feelings towards this dead priestess. She had not wanted to reveal what she knew. Why? She had purposely distracted him from this very thought process to protect that woman. Why?

There were too many questions and not enough answers. He was not use to dealing with this and the emotions the miko was forcing upon him. His aura flared even brighter, higher, and wider than before. His senses, always so sharp, could pick up the faint remembrances of Inuyasha on the wind. He knew the half-breed was southwest of him. At the thought of his half-brother, Sesshoumaru's claws lengthened and curled. The miko seemed to care about his half-brother far too much for his liking. Another loose end of the miko's that he needed to clean up? Yes, he'd granted the half-breed's life to her in exchange for not fighting against him, but what had she done when she'd tried to escape? This thought only gave him the motive he was seeking to end the hanyou's life once and for all. And the miko need to never know...

At his side, the despised sword pulsed and made Sesshoumaru snarl. Would his father's legacy never leave him in peace?

He made to leave when a sound drew him up short and stole away his desires to kill. It was coming from behind him, within the depths. It was coming from the miko. Softly. Quietly done. She did not wish to share this. Through their link, that was only growing stronger, he could sense her emotions and feel her thoughts.

The miko was crying.

Without another thought, following his basic desires, Sesshoumaru turned and made his way back down below. When he passed through the barrier he expected to find the miko still alert, her tears pouring down her face, but she was not awake. The miko was asleep.

He moved to stand beside her, but, although he could tell she knew of his arrival, she did not wake. Instead her body, which had been laying facing away from him, her head buried into the mound of pillows he'd laid her upon, turned to face him. It sought comfort, but from him? He did not know. He could not tell.

Knowing that no one would see him here, he fell to his knees beside her and tentatively reached out his hand towards her. The appendage shook as it neared the sleeping, crying miko and he snatched his hand back. Nothing affected him.

Steeling himself, he made to rise and leave when a mournful sigh crossed her lips and he was lost once more. There had been times when Rin had first come into his life that she had needed such comfort from nightmares of what had happened to her. Sesshoumaru had left such things to Jaken. Even though the imp had grossly and angrily not wished to do his Lord's bidding, he had done so while Sesshoumaru had watched. Then, as time passed and he felt himself softening towards his new ward, he found himself the one doing it. Now the miko needed such comfort and there was no Jaken there—not that he would allow another near her. Inus were possessive by nature even if they did not wish to be so.

Ignoring the shaking of his hand, Sesshoumaru reached out and ran it softly down the side of her face. Her aura flared in recognition of him and settled like a soothing blanket. He allowed it to do so and relished the warmth of her touch. Her face pushed gently against him and still her eyes did not open. _Such trust given to one who does not deserve it_, he thought.

At his side, Tenseiga pulsed softly, warmly, approvingly.

Sesshoumaru stood and shed his weapons and armor. Bare of restrictions, he moved around to the opposite side and laid down behind his desired mate. He pulled her up against him, offering her the warmth of his body. She snuggled closer and still did not wake. He ran his hand through her still drying hair and breathed deeply in her scent. And still she did not wake. He leaned down and nuzzled at her neck. Obediently her head bent, baring herself to him. Though the tears did not stop falling, they seemed to lessen. "Who do you cry for, miko?" he asked softly into the darkness of the cavern. "Do you cry for yourself? Do you cry for Inuyasha?" He paused, not really wanting to voice his next thought, but he gave into the urge. After all, he was not acting like himself right now and there was no one there, awake, who could bear witness. "Or do you cry for me, my Kagome?"

He could not--did not-- hide the longing in his voice and he vaguely wondered where it had come from.

***


	11. Chapter 11

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Eleven ~

INUYASHA returned to the others, his eyes haunted, but he said nothing. Finally Miroku could take the silence no more. "Inuyasha, what did the Lady Kikyou say?"

"That's none of your damn business, monk!"

"Is she going to aid us with Kagome?" Sango asked, ignoring the hanyou's shouted exclamation.

Inuyasha only folded his arms across his chest and looked away. Miroku gave a pained sigh and removed the scroll he'd received from Ungai. He unrolled it and looked it over. "According to this scroll, the location of this shrine is only a few days travel north from where we are now."

"We cannot consider doing this," Sango said when she realized what Miroku was talking about. Her eyes stayed glued on the hanyou, glaring at his silent form.

"What choice do we have?"

This question came from Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, I do not trust this man," Sango growled.

"Like I do?! And it was _you_ who thought we should go to him!!" If anything the pain he allowed to be revealed in his eyes grew and he turned his sullen gaze towards the fire. When he continued, his voice was low. "What else is there?"

"This is dangerous, Inuyasha. You heard what the Lady Kikyou said."

"Like I'd let someone like that Ungai jackass keep me down," he replied, strength and cockiness back in his voice.

"You're half-youkai, Inuyasha," Shippou said, joining the conversation at last. He came over from where he'd been sitting with Kirara and looked up at Inuyasha. "You could be trapped, too!"

"Or the only one trapped if Sesshoumaru proves too strong," Sango added with a nod of her head.

Inuyasha grunted at his friends, folding his arms tighter across his chest. "That Ungai said Kagome would have to be the one to trap Sesshoumaru and she wouldn't do that to me. Not Kagome."

"If this is truly the path you wish to take, Inuyasha," Miroku replied, "We had best rest and leave in the morning."

Inuyasha watched as his friends bedded down for the evening. Shippou came over to where he was sitting and curled up near him. "What do you think you're doin', runt?"

"Sleeping near you, Inuyasha," Shippou answered with a loud yawn.

Inuyasha grunted again and then looked away. His gaze turned skywards as he replayed his conversation with Kikyou over and over in his mind. Something in what she said just didn't sound right. It didn't sound like the Kikyou he knew. Then his mind filled with thoughts of Kagome and he wondered if she were thinking of him, too.

***

Kagome had not seen Sesshoumaru in what felt like days--not that she could tell time where she was--but she knew he was there. His aura hung heavily in the air each time she woke and there was always food waiting for her. With nothing to fill her time, not even the arrogant daiyoukai to argue with, Kagome had found a chalk rock and taken to doing math equations and other school work on the hard ground. Then she woke one day to find paper and ink waiting for her. Sesshoumaru was either being strangely considerate of her boredom or he didn't want her writing on the floors of her prison any more.

But why was he avoiding her?

Kagome could vaguely recall their last conversation, her body and mind had been too tired, but she knew he had tried to hurt her with words. She had enough experience with hurtful words, though, to recognize truth when she saw it. And she knew Sesshoumaru was only coming to her when she was asleep. When she'd first realized it, shivers of loathing had coursed through her. She would wake knowing he'd been there, holding her tightly against him with his lips pressed lovingly against her neck. It was almost as if he'd been taking advantage of her. Then she realized that Sesshoumaru was powerful enough that he could force her to his will, if he so desired. The fact that he had not, was not, struck a chord with her. He had merely desired her presence without her fighting him.

He no longer came to her in her dreams, either, and she was finding that strangely disconcerting. She could not even summon the power she had before to call him to her. And how she had tried!

At that thought, another shiver having nothing to do with loathing raced through her body and she knew he was thinking of her at that moment. Recently, she had been able to grasp these things, these thoughts, that were not hers, that she would never think or feel. It, too, was disconcerting. What was happening to her? Oh, yes. She knew what was happening to her. She was just still having difficulty believing it.

Wanting to take her mind away from the ever-present daiyoukai, Kagome turned her thoughts to Inuyasha and his face. She wondered where he was and what he was doing. She wondered how the others were; Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippou. Were they looking for her? Were they worried? Had Inuyasha survived? That last thought gave her pause and she realized the stupidity of her thoughts. Of course Inuyasha was alive! She could not imagine a world where he was not. Time and time again, the hanyou had risen against impossible odds and come out on top. This situation would be no different, she assured herself. Inuyasha would find her and life would go back to the way it was suppose to be.

Why did that thought trouble her more than any other?

Turning her mind away from thinking in general, Kagome picked up her current sheet of paper she was doodling aimlessly on. Math equations were not that interesting to her and she could only force herself to focus on them for so long. Now she preoccupied herself with trying to draw Inuyasha's face, but art had never been one of her fortes and the drawing, she realized, resembled nothing like her hanyou.

A few minutes later, Kagome set aside the drawing, resisting the urge to crumple it up and throw it into the fire. Yawning, she felt her body wanting to fall into sleep. Sleep seemed to be her only comfort in this place, the only time she felt truly at peace, and she wondered if it was because Sesshoumaru came to her then. Of course she could be finding sleep comforting because she was a naturally social person and there was no one here to talk to besides herself. And there was no way she was going to have an out loud conversation with herself again! Sesshoumaru might stumble upon her conversation once more—not that what he thought about her sanity truly mattered or anything. In fact, she wouldn't mind him thinking her insane. Wouldn't he consider that a bad sign for a mate? _Oh wait_, she thought almost bitterly and wondered where that had come from, _he doesn't want my mind. Only my energy._

Hearing movement, Kagome stopped what she was doing. It was not Sesshoumaru coming towards her. No. This one was just as familiar, though. Wishing she was armed, wishing there was more than a simple barrier standing between her and the new arrival, she stood and readied herself. Hands at her side, face a mask so eerily resembling Sesshoumaru's, Kagome solidified her stance and stared into the darkness of the entrance. There was a faint light beyond the gloom. "I know you are there. Show yourself," she demanded in an even tone when the newcomer made no move to come forward. Her voice would have done Sesshoumaru proud.

Kikyou stepped out of the darkness, a twisted smile on her face. Her bow was notched with an arrow but not aimed at anything in particular. It was just a precaution, Kagome realized. Sesshoumaru's aura pulsed hungrily in this place even though he was not here. "Where is the youkai?" Kikyou asked, her voice as cold and flat as it usually was.

"He's not here."

"I know that, girl," Kikyou said with a hiss of anger. "But you can sense where he is. Now tell me."

"I don't know," Kagome grounded out. She was getting tired of being told what to do all the time and of having no say in her life. Really, really tired of it. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"Do you forget what we share?"

Kagome did not gift that question with an answer. How could she ever forget what was between she and Kikyou? She had never felt quite like herself since half of her had been stolen. And that missing part of her had become so much more obvious the longer she spent with Sesshoumaru. He had said she would complete him and he her, but how could she do that when she wasn't complete herself? Her eyes narrowed as an animosity she had not known she felt rose within her. It wasn't her anger, though. It was a part of Sesshoumaru coming out through her. Shaking the anger away, knowing she did not truly feel or think that way, Kagome cleared her throat and straightened herself. "Where's Inuyasha?"

A smirk came to the dead priestess's face. She had not missed what Kagome had tried to hide. "The hanyou is preparing to give his life for you."

"What?" she breathed, her voice barely making a sound.

Kikyou ignored the shocked and worried look on Kagome's face. She continued speaking, her voice even and bland. "It is amazing what lengths love will drive someone to…even as you give yourself to another."

_Give herself to another? Hardly_, Kagome thought. Then she remembered what she had done with Sesshoumaru the last time she'd seen him and guilt rose swift and sure within her. She wasn't giving herself to him, but, to others, it would have appeared as if she had. But how had Kikyou known about that? "Why are you here, Kikyou?" she asked again.

The dead priestess only stood there, staring at her. Whatever thoughts circled in her mind were hidden behind her lifeless eyes. Then she stepped even closer to Sesshoumaru's barrier. His youki crackled warningly at her presence, but Kikyou made no motion to move away. "Do you wish Inuyasha to live?"

_What kind of question was that?! _"Of course I do," Kagome answered honestly, the strange anger within her dying away.

"Then you must go to him. Stop him."

Kagome knew, deep down within herself, that Kikyou still cared for Inuyasha. A love such as the one they shared could never be fully corrupted. _But hadn't it?_ her mind supplied. Kagome pushed the thought aside. "I can't get out of here," she explained, a note of desperation in her tone.

Kikyou stared at her, a look similar to the one Sesshoumaru used when he looked at Inuyasha on her face. "We are stronger than this," she said at last, her superiority back in her voice.

For some reason Kikyou's normal better-than-thou attitude brought her comfort. It was probably because she hadn't spoken to anyone in so long now. The fact that Kikyou had included herself in her statement surprised her, but Kagome had other things to focus on at the moment—namely saving Inuyasha. "We may be stronger, but I don't know what to do."

"These walls," Kikyou said, looking around her. "Contain a dampening agent that is restricting your spiritual strength. If we work together, they can be overcome."

"And what of Sesshoumaru? He would find me before I got very far."

Kikyou fell silent; whether it was because she was unsure or she just didn't wish to share her thoughts, Kagome wasn't sure. Then the dead priestess raised her bow once more, aiming for the still snapping barrier. "That is your problem. Inuyasha is mine."

Kagome could only stand and watch as she felt her powers swirl around within her, growing and strengthening in intensity. This was beyond anything she had felt before. All her energy was being directed towards Kikyou's arrow as their shared spiritual powers drew together to form one. Then Kikyou released her arrow. It struck the barrier with a shower of visible sparks and shock waves. Kagome felt the waves of energy being released wash over her body and she gasped at the sensation as a mixture she recognized as hers and Sesshoumaru's raced through her veins. Then the room fell eerily quiet; the barrier destroyed.

She stared in disbelief at Kikyou, who had already notched another arrow in her bow. "He comes," she said simply and Kagome knew who she was speaking about.

"I cannot outrun him. I don't even know where to go to find Inuyasha."

"Fool," she whispered.

Kikyou moved into the room to stand a few feet away from her. Kagome looked into Kikyou's face, a face so like her own but older and colder. She had always wondered if she were destined to turn into this woman as she aged. Then the thought was banished when Kikyou's face actually took on an emotion other than anger or indifference. What it was Kagome could not place, but there was something in her eyes that held Kagome's attention. "Trust in yourself for once," Kikyou continued. "Save Inuyasha."

Kagome's eyes met hers for one last time and then she gave a sharp nod of her head. She headed towards the light Kikyou had brought with her and, as she did, Kikyou's voice carried after her. "When he takes my life, you will have your whole soul once more, Kagome. He will want you even more than he does now. Do not let him get you."

She did not need to hear this to know it as truth.

***

_Inuyasha_.

She was thinking of the half-breed...again. Recently her thoughts had been wavering in between himself and the hanyou. Whenever she thought of his half-brother, Sesshoumaru felt rage rise inside of him. What had the half-breed done to obtain such trust and confidence? Nothing that he knew of! A half-breed was good for nothing but groveling and death--even though Inuyasha refused to see this truth. Perhaps it was the half-breed's stubbornness that caught the miko's eye? She was surely stubborn enough herself to find this trait admirable in others.

The feeling to kill, to rend flesh from bone, rose sharply inside of him as her emotions turned warm where her thoughts of the half-breed were concerned. His clawed hand fisted ever so slightly at his side, the joints popping in readiness for a strike, but the anger, the jealously--he finally admitted to himself-- was cut short as a shock wave of power washed through him. The wave of power had shot through the mental links he shared with the miko. Then he _felt_ small, soft hands wrap around the ever strengthening links between them. There was a slight tug, as if his miko were calling to him, and then...nothing. Nothing at all. He could sense nothing!

Sesshoumaru stopped and sniffed the air. He had been on way to see her, not being able to stay away for long anymore and feeling her body's desire to have him near. Rin and Jaken were safely stowed away, the imp's curiosity at his master's departures satisfied with unconsciousness. Ah-Un would protect Rin until the imp regained his mind and was able to take over the job.

There was nothing in the air that even hinted at her, but there was a touch of something that he had smelled before and a feral glint came to his eyes. The dead priestess. How had he forgotten about her? She was near the miko and was probably the reason for the deadening of sensation that had overcome him.

He would end this dead priestess's life, completing his miko's soul once more, and then he would find her. She could not run from him. No one could. He would track her down until the end of the earth, if necessary, and then he would make sure she understood that disobeying him was not something to be done lightly. Obviously she had not learned that valuable, life-saving lesson yet. But he would not punish her for her sins. No. He would punish those she loved the most because she seemed to care so much more for their well being than her own. Yes. That is what he would do.

At his side, Tenseiga pulsed its disagreement. The sword had been strangely silent this past week. Apparently it had approved of his sudden desire to be beside her without manipulations between them. Sesshoumaru clamped his hand down on the blade of the sword and smiled wickedly. The priestess's body was dead and the Tenseiga, while not being able to harm the living, could very easily dispatch those no longer alive. He would kill the priestess with this very sword--as a punishment to the blade since it seemed to not want this to happen. Maybe then the worthless blade would offer him the respect he deserved?

***

The black crow circled the clearing below and slowly came to land amongst the remains of an encampment. Myoga jumped down from the bird's back, his eyes searching the area. Master Inuyasha had been here, but had departed some days before. A worried look came to the old flea's eyes. He had been searching for Master Inuyasha ever since hearing of troubling whispers where the boy was concerned. He needed to speak with Master Inuyasha and prevent his Lord's son from doing something disastrous. Why Master Inuyasha had not sought his council on this matter beforehand, Myoga would never know, but he chose to ignore the insult to his person and offered wisdom. Had not the Great Dog General specifically charged him with watching over the boy? He could not let his Master's father down by not at least attempting, safely, to guard the boy.

Jumping back onto the crow, Myoga ordered the bird to take flight once more. He had a very bad feeling that the hanyou would be doing as he usually did and that would be acting rashly. Oh, he would never understand humans...or half-breeds.

***

Kagome breached the entrance and could not hold back her sigh of pleasure as she was bathed in warm sunlight. The feeling of lethargy that had been overcoming her vanished instantly. Knowing she had no time to spare, she tossed the torch aside and made her way down the steep mountain path before her. If Sesshoumaru had sensed what had happened and was coming for her, as Kikyou had said, he would take flight to reach her faster. Hopefully he would be too intent on getting to where the barrier had been to notice her smell being stronger outside the entrance. It hadn't been that long since he'd carried her through here, after all.

Her feet skidded and slid down the path. She kept her body low, hoping to attract as little attention to herself as possible, and breathed another sigh of relief as she broke into the forest below. Taking only a moment to orientate herself with her directions, she took off in as fast a run as she dared in the direction her heart told her to go. Kikyou had told her to trust herself and south was the direction her heart was lurching towards.

When the barrier had been sundered, Kagome had felt the ties she held with Sesshoumaru being ripped apart. It had been a painful sensation and she knew it had been Kikyou's doing. Kagome knew why Kikyou had done it. It was to give her more time to escape. Not wanting to waste a moment, Kagome ran through the trees, back tracking and going in circles to hopefully slow Sesshoumaru's pursuit down. She did not slow, finding strength where she hadn't known she'd held it. Her thoughts she kept centered on Inuyasha, thinking that if she stayed focused on the hanyou her mind and body would instinctively find him for her.

She had just reached a large, swiftly flowing river when something caught the attention of her senses. It was as if a spike had been driven through her, demanding she pay attention to it. Not wishing to use her miko energies because she did not want to attract attention, Kagome used only her eyes to look around her. Then she saw it; a white glowing orb shooting through the sky. The orb darted forward, coming straight towards her, and Kagome barely had time to let out a muffled cry as the orb slammed into her body with such force that it threw her backwards and into the river. She gulped in a mouthful of water before breaking the surface with a strangled cry. Warmth spread within her and Kagome closed her eyes, fighting both the sensation of completion that had been so long absent and staying afloat in the swiftly churning waters.

The waters carried her swiftly downstream, their violence keeping her from swimming towards the shore until she'd traveled several miles. Kagome finally managed to grab onto a low hanging branch and pulled herself ashore. Coughing out water and shaking from the cold, she collapsed on the sandy bank and took in deep breaths of air. She only allowed herself a moment's rest, though, before forcing herself to get to her feet once more. While falling in the water hadn't been planned, it would definitely work in her favor. Better than her last venture, for sure.

Not wanting to be lulled into a feeling of safety, Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated on Inuyasha's face again. Her entire self pulsed within her and it felt so odd. She had access to so much that she hadn't before. She felt empowered, able to take on the world if needed. She felt...sad. Yes, her soul was sad. It had taken the death of one to bring her to this point. For Kagome knew without a doubt that Sesshoumaru would have killed Kikyou the moment he saw her. He'd been thinking such thoughts recently and would not have failed to act on them. If he believed Kikyou prevented him from obtaining what he wanted, the dead priestess's life meant nothing. Feeling something wet but warm on her face, Kagome touched her cheeks and realized she was crying. Why hadn't she realized she was crying?

Kagome poured the water out of her shoes and continued to push herself southward.

***

They arrived at the place Ungai's scroll had pointed them to and found Ungai and several of his followers waiting for them in an open clearing. Not very far away the large dark mouth of a cave loomed, torches set out on either side of its opening. Miroku approached Ungai first, offering a low bow which was barely returned by the elder. "Master Ungai."

"Miroku. I see you have accepted the fact that there is no other way to save your friend."

Inuyasha, not wanting to waste time with pointless pleasantries, stepped forward, hand on the hilt of his sword. "Quit your yapping, old man. Are you gonna help us save Kagome or not?"

Ungai's eyes slid away from Miroku and landed on Inuyasha's face. The half-breed did not step down and, after a time, Ungai's gaze turned away from him, not answering. His eyes slid over the rest of the monk's companions and he remembered them all. There was the youkai slayer with her fire neko safely wrapped up in her arms. Perched on the slayer's shoulder was the young kitsune. One he expected to find among them was missing. "Where is the priestess, Kikyou?"

"The Lady Kikyou declined protection," Miroku answered.

"The young are foolish," was Ungai's only comment. Then he straightened himself and faced the group before him. "The youkai may not continue forward. Nor may you bring your weapons. This is a sacred shrine and I will not see it defiled."

Inuyasha was about to raise a protest when Sango looked down at Kirara. "Kirara. Stay here and watch over Shippou."

"Hey!" Shippou protested. "I can watch over myself!"

Kirara jumped down from Sango's arms and transformed into her larger self. Shippou jumped onto Kirara's back and watched as Sango slid her Hirakotsu off her shoulders and leaned the massive bone weapon down against a tree. An unspoken message passed between mistress and cat and Kirara gave an answering rumble. "Let us do as the priest says," Sango said to her friends.

Inuyasha was the last to leave his Tessaiga behind in the fire neko's care. Giving Shippou a knowing glare, he turned and faced Ungai. "There. Are you happy now?"

Ungai paid Inuyasha no mind, his eyes focused on Miroku. "We are ready to perform the calling, but first we need some of the half-breed's blood." Then his eyes turned to Inuyasha. "Follow me."

The three followed after Ungai as he led them to the mouth of the cave. Miroku could feel the holy wards as they walked by them and he looked to Inuyasha. The wards seemed to have no effect on the half-breed, but Miroku was given little time to wonder about that as they breached the shrine within.

***

Night had fallen and Kagome was wondering where Sesshoumaru was. She didn't dare try and search him out, feeling a slight tingle within her as their bonds slowly reformed. Hiding in a small hole at the base of a large tree, she didn't even dare try and start a fire out of fear that he'd find her sooner.

She was laying as far back as she possibly could, trying to hold her fear at bay, when something sharp and stinging bit into her flesh. Automatically, her hand slapped at the offended spot and she felt Myoga's small body flatten underneath her fingers. "Myoga?" she said questioningly into the darkness. She couldn't see anything within and very little without.

"Kagome," the flea mumbled as his body slowly reformed. "You are tasting as excellent as always. With a slightly sweeter tang to you now."

Did the flea know what had been happening? Surely he did. In the past, Myoga had always known what was going on even if he chose not to involve himself in it out of personal cowardliness. Kagome almost flattened the flea again when he began expounding upon the tastiness of her blood. "Myoga," she said to get his attention. "Do you know where Inuyasha is?"

"I was hoping you would know where the Master is," Myoga answered sadly. "I sensed you as I was flying overhead. Master Inuyasha is never far from you."

"Don't you know what's been going on?" Kagome asked, slightly surprised.

"Of course, I know!" he said indignantly. "I can easily see Lord Sesshoumaru's claim on you. Any youkai worth the blood in his veins could tell that! Of course, this might explain the Master's lack of presence around you. Lord Sesshoumaru is not one to share...easily." His little flea eyes darted fearfully about. She was sure of this even though she couldn't see him. Myoga was not the bravest youkai. "But where is Lord Sesshoumaru? Why are you not by his side?"

Kagome groaned. "I don't have time for this, Myoga! We need to find Inuyasha."

"But Lord Sesshoumaru--"

"Can't find me for as long as I can help it," Kagome finished for him. "Inuyasha is in trouble. Kikyou told me he's risking his life to save me and I have to stop him."

"Why would you need saving, Kagome? A treasure such as yourself is surely in no danger. Although, why you would be out here in the middle of nowhere without your protector is something of a mystery to me."

"I'm out here because I do not want Sesshoumaru to find me. I'm out here because I need to find Inuyasha and stop him from doing whatever it is he's going to do. And you're going to help me, Myoga."

The little flea gave an audible gulp. "I am?"

"Yes."

"But Lord Sesshoumaru--"

"Is not who you should be worrying about right now, Myoga," Kagome said, her eyes glinting with her determination and the anger that had been ever present within her recently.

The little flew gulped again. "Yes, yes," he hurried to say. "I can see that you are a formidable force, Lady Kagome, but you cannot just leave Lord Sesshoumaru."

Kagome did not want to talk about Sesshoumaru. She wanted to find Inuyasha, but the bold little flea just wouldn't leave the subject behind. And that was, in itself, slightly worrying. Myoga had always been afraid of Sesshoumaru and ran whenever the daiyoukai came anywhere near their group. "And why not?" she finally grounded out between clenched teeth.

"Don't you know?"

This time Kagome couldn't stop the scream of frustration that came out her lips. Yes, Sesshoumaru had told her much, but not everything. He'd spoken so selectively of what was going on and Kagome had no prior knowledge of what was happening, either. "I haven't been told a thing!"

The little flea's eyes widened even more, giving him a vague resemblance to Jaken. He danced back and forth worriedly on Kagome's hand. "Oh, this is not good. This is not good at all," he kept repeating over and over again.

Kagome was just about to slap her hands together to stop him from repeating himself again, when the flea fell silent. Then he stabbed his little sucking mouth back into Kagome's palm and she slapped him anyway. "What was that for?!"

When Myoga had bloated himself back to his usual size once more, he answered. "I needed another taste of you to see how far the bonding has gone, Kagome," he explained. "You must return to Lord Sesshoumaru."

"As if!"

Myoga shook his head at the human before him. He repeated to himself, once more, that he would never understand this species—especially the ones who traveled between times. "If you do not return to Lord Sesshoumaru, he will come and find you."

"Which is why I'm hiding out here right now."

"That will not stop him."

"I know," Kagome answered sullenly.

"An unfulfilled bonding already this progressed will only drive him--and yourself-- to madness."

_What?_"We are not progressed!" Kagome argued, rather pathetically to her own ears. "It's only been a few days."

"Your auras, your essences, are very near to a complete bonding. On a subconscious level for you, I'm sure. It's unheard of for this to have happened so quickly," Myoga quickly explained, trying to keep himself from being squashed again. Kagome's temper was almost as bad as Master Inuyasha's-- if not worse sometimes--and it seemed to be much more violent right then. "You have shared your lifeblood with him on several occasions and he with you. I can already taste it in your blood. If you do not return to his side, he will go into a state of madness and destroy everything in his way to get to you."

***


	12. Chapter 12

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Twelve ~

SESSHOUMARU watched as the dead priestess's body turned back to earth and ash before his eyes. She had tried to fight him. She had tried to stall him. But he would have none of it. Her barriers, weak and pointless, were sliced through easily enough and then Sesshoumaru endeared his father's fang to him further by using it to run her through. Afterwards the myriad amount of souls trapped within the clay priestess's body slowly floated away to wherever it was they belonged.

But one remained.

He watched, with cold eyes, as this single soul pulsed brightly; lighting up the room with each pulse. Slowly the pulsing brightness brought the pain that had been building within him, since his ties with Kagome had been cut, ease. Then the soul moved forward and Sesshoumaru stayed completely still, finding peace and pleasure as the soul bathed him with its warmth. All at once he was with her again but on a far grander scale than he had been so before. He could taste her on his tongue as if she were standing right before him. Her scent enveloped him, sending warmed caresses across his exposed skin. His claws skimmed across smooth, soft skin; leaving shivers and goose bumps behind them. Her hair brushed against the exposed skin of his neck as she leaned her body into him. Her laughter, so light and embracing, filled his ears with a joy he'd never experienced before as she shared herself entirely with him. There were no barriers between them. She was his and he...he was entirely hers. The sensations were heavenly. There was no other word he could think of, in his vast vocabulary, to describe it. Was this what it would be like to be fully one with her?

At that thought, at that realization of what the miko had become, her soul that hung in the air around him seemed to withdraw. As suddenly as the feelings had come upon him, they were gone. The soul pulsed once more, calling to him, and then shot out through the tunnel with blinding speed.

With the feeling of completion ripped away so suddenly, Sesshoumaru found himself gasping for breath as pain threatened to overcome him. He tried to follow after her soul, knowing it would take him to his miko, but the soul had vanished the instant he reached the outside. And with its vanishing, so too had fled the remaining peace that had filled him. In its place, a dark pit opened within him. A pain, a longing, filled his mind and body and he had only one desire at that moment in time, only one thought. He must find Kagome.

His eyes bled red. His claws extended, digging into the ground and shredding all that lay before him. Sesshoumaru curled his claws, acid rising to his fingertips, and struck out at the cave's walls. Deep gouges formed in the wake of his fingertips as his acid ate into the rock. An unearthly howl that he almost did not recognize came from his lips and echoed across the landscape, startling birds into flight for miles around. Youkai fled in terror from the creature that had come into their domain that seemed even wilder than the daiyoukai that had become such a frequent presence.

Fighting the need to change, Sesshoumaru let a feral grin spread across his face and then he shot off down the mountainside. Her scent went this way and she had tried circling and backtracking to lose him. As his sane mind snorted at her effort as fruitless, this other side that had been born forth from her absence and, yes, abandonment of him, only found her attempts to leave him even more enraging. Then he came to the river's edge where her scent was the strongest. This was where the other half of her soul had found and entered her. The air was thick with her renewed spiritual strength and her sweet, sweet smell. The ground still bore the markings her feet had made as the force of her other half's reentry drove her backwards...straight into the river.

A snarl escaped his mouth and acid once more dripped from his claws. At his feet the earth smoked and sputtered as his acid, dripping freely from his claws, cut into it. This river ran through the land with jagged efficiency, roughly wandering through the landscape for many, many miles before finally ending up in a lake. If the miko survived the chill of the water, which he knew she had, where would she have been able to make shore? And which side of the shore would she have struck for?

_Inuyasha_, his mind supplied and this new darker part of him chuckled with glee. Yes. The miko would attempt to join up with the half-breed despite the fact that, that would be the first place he would look for her when he could not immediately locate her.

He knew that Inuyasha and his pack members had left where they had been encamped some days ago and were heading northward. As his bestial side saw Inuyasha as a threat to his mate, Sesshoumaru had continued to keep a light tab on the half-breed's movements without ever bothering to confront the disgrace. In truth, the half-breed had been farther away from the miko than Sesshoumaru had wanted to travel no matter that it would have only taken him a second to go to where his half-brother was. A second's travel away from the miko was more than he was able to stand at the moment.

At that thought, the dark pain flared within him; rising higher and growing stronger. The miko was out of his grasp now; out of his sight and sense. He _would_ retrieve her. He _would_ complete the bond. He _would never_ let her leave him again.

He released another long, drawn out howl filled with anger and determination and warning to all in his path. Then his body automatically shot down the river's bank even as his logical mind screamed for him to find the half-breed.

***

"Madness?" Kagome echoed with disbelief. Her voice raised a notch to a near screech. "Already bonded?!"

"Yes, Kagome," Myoga explained patiently. He'd wanted to flee as soon as he learned that Kagome had left Lord Sesshoumaru, but his need to find Master Inuyasha was strong; as was his loyalty to the half-breed, this human girl in front of him, and to the deceased Dog General. That loyalty was being severely tested right now. No one could call him cowardly again after this episode was over! If Sesshoumaru found him in the girl's presence his life was forfeit, he knew. An enraged daiyoukai would shut down anything in their path that they viewed as a threat—even if that threat happened to be nothing but a tiny little cowardly youkai bug. "You would call it a withdrawal," Myoga continued, remembering some of his past conversations with Kagome about her future home. "Has not Lord Sesshoumaru been spending a great quality of time with you?"

Kagome thought about the nights Sesshoumaru had spent with her and nodded her head yes. "But I'm not awake when he's there," she said, not able to stop the blush that rose on her cheeks. She couldn't believe she was discussing this with Myoga of all people. _No discussing this with him of all youkai_, she corrected herself insanely.

"You don't have to be conscious to bond," Myoga answered. "Your spirit knows where you belong even if your mind refuses to accept it."

"Oh, no," Kagome said with a vigorous shake of her head in the way of the negative every time to word left her lips. "No. No. No. No. That's not how it's supposed to be at all! I am _supposed_ to stay by Inuyasha's side!"

Myoga shook his head at the strange human female. "The Kamis have destined you to be with Lord Sesshoumaru. Can you not accept that?"

"With Inuyasha? Of course I can!"

"No, girl!" Myoga said, sounding like someone other than himself. The girl really could be exasperating with her stubbornness. It proved without a doubt that she and Lord Sesshoumaru were meant to be together because the daiyoukai had not slain her yet. "With Lord Sesshoumaru! You are the only one who can bring him back from his rage now. Only your nearness may calm him."

"So unless I want a crazy youkai running around I have to stay right by his side for forever?" Kagome asked skeptically.

"No. Just until the bond is complete."

"If I complete it, I will be false with myself. I don't love him, Myoga. And what about Inuyasha?!"

"Master Inuyasha cannot be helped by you if you are dead or insane. Prolonged absence from Lord Sesshoumaru's side is surely to affect you, too, Kagome. Whether you want this or not."

Kagome let out a short strangled laugh at that thought. Death being around every corner was just something she was use to now. It was as common as breathing in her life now. If it wasn't shard seeking youkais, it was either some plot of Naraku's or, now, some half crazed daiyoukai. And as for her sanity, she had been questioning that already. "This is crazy, Myoga. We don't even know if he's in a rage!" Kagome protested once more, her desire to deny rising higher.

As the words left her mouth, a deranged sounding howl echoed in the distance. It wasn't close by any means, but the sound still made the hairs on her arms and neck stand up in fright. Myoga cringed and fought the desire to flee right then and there as Kagome shot out of her hiding spot and stared into the direction of the howl. "Myoga, what was that?" she asked, her voice a little more shaky than before. The sound had been terrifiying.

"That was an enraged daiyoukai being driven mad by abandonment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I like to be alive."

Kagome closed her hand into a fist before the little flea could escape to safety. Holding her closed fist up to her face, she eyed the hand and was sure she looked silly to anyone watching her-- if anyone was stupid enough to still be within hearing distance of that howl. Then she thought of the time she'd stopped Inuyasha's transformation with a kiss, a simple peck on the lips. "What if I just kiss him?"

Her fist gave a little confused sound and Kagome fought the urge to shake it. "When Inuyasha transformed, I stopped that by giving him a kiss!"

Myoga said something ungracious in reply, but Kagome ignored it. She knew getting out of this wouldn't be that easy. "Okay, Myoga," she said again to her closed fist. "Let's follow your line of thinking. If I do choose to complete this bond with him, is there any way to break it after he's calmed down a bit?"

"Break it?" Myoga asked, not hiding his shock. Did the girl not understand what she was talking about? A shake of the fist he was currently trapped in brought his mind back to the present. "Only Lord Sesshoumaru may release you from this bond and only once it is complete."

"But if I complete the bond, won't I have the power to do so too?"

"You may release him from you, but that doesn't release you from him," Myoga explained as best as he could. "This is about balances. Both parties have to want to separate—not that any ever have."

"Damn it," Kagome muttered, surprising herself by her cursing. She _never _cursed. Inuyasha was really having an influence on her after all. "Like that power hungry youkai would ever do that. Is there a way to escape it without having to...complete it?"

Myoga shook his head sadly inside her fist. This was not supposed to be happening this way, but what could he do? "There is no escape, Kagome. If one of you perishes there may be a delay in your souls finding each other again, but it will happen. You were destined to complete each other."

"I can deal with that," Kagome said, more to herself than to the flea. Then she stopped herself. _Deal with that? No, she could not!_ Of course, her mind logically assumed that Sesshoumaru would be the one to die. How could she be with Inuyasha if she was dead? And how could she be thinking that someone dying was an acceptable thing? Because it wasn't and never would be in her mind unless, of course, the one dying was Naraku. And _why_ was her mind turning to the dark hanyou at time like this?! "There has to be another way, Myoga!" she said almost childishly.

He couldn't understand why Kagome was so upset. Most would be more than pleased to find fulfillment and comfort for all eternity--in this life and in all lives following. While he understood her reservations that it was Lord Sesshoumaru whom she was tied to-- he, himself, was terrified of the daiyoukai-- the Lord would never hurt her. At least, not while he wasn't in a rage. Speaking of rages, another howl rent the night air. "I'm sorry, Kagome. There is no other way. Now I really must find Master Inuyasha."

Kagome had stilled at the sound of the second howl. It had still sounded as if coming from a great distance, but it was most definitely closer than the last. She took a couple of shaky steps in the opposite direction from the sound. "Yes," she agreed in a whispered voice just in case Sesshoumaru's hearing was stronger when he was in a rage. "Yes, we must find Inuyasha."

Then she turned and began to run, keeping the tiny youkai trapped firmly in her fist.

***

Ungai's acolytes lined the passageway into the temple, holding torches with faces set in grim masks. Cold steps carved into the floor of the cave eons ago and worn with the ages of passage led down into a circular room. In the center of the room stood a large stone altar Miroku had never seen the like of before. Attached to the altar were four chains that could be shortened or lengthened, with large cuffs on each end. Holy script was carved into the floor around the altar in circles of increasing sizes and on the altar's base. The walls were painted with scenes of the Kamis and with a language Miroku did not recognize. He did not like this place and, apparently, his feelings were shared by his friends, as well. Inuyasha's back went stiffer as they passed through yet another barrier. This one was noticeably stronger. Even _he_ could feel its affects. Miroku turned his eyes to Ungai, but he looked unaffected. As if sensing his gaze, Ungai looked at him. "The barriers are in place for our protection," he explained. "They will weaken youkai, but not to the point of purification."

Miroku looked over his shoulder to where Sango stood a few feet away from him. Her eyes, usually so expressive in his presence, were hidden as her gaze scanned the room. Miroku knew she was thinking of what Kikyou had told them. He wanted to ask after her thoughts, but dared not.

Ungai moved over to the altar and picked up a silver bowl and knife covered in the same carvings as that on the floor. "Come, hanyou, and share your blood with the bowl."

"What is that?" Miroku asked before Inuyasha could move.

Ungai's eyes tightened momentarily and then relaxed. "It is a spiritual relic used in the calling."

Miroku laid his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder before the half-breed could let out what thoughts on Ungai Miroku knew he was having. "I am afraid we will require a bit more information than that, Master Ungai."

"As I am sure your youkai slayer knows, I speak the truth, monk."

Miroku looked over at Sango, who nodded her head briefly yes. "What assurances can you give us that you will not harm Inuyasha?" she asked Ungai.

"I will not lie. The pain will be intense, at first. If your friend is as devoted as you claim, then he will not suffer permanently. And the pain will end when the priestess arrives. He may even be stronger once this is over and done with."

"Such walks of power do not interest this youkai," Miroku said, squeezing Inuyasha's shoulder almost painfully to keep him quiet. Not that he could hurt Inuyasha by physical movements alone. Thankfully, though, Inuyasha stayed quiet.

"Half-youkai," Ungai corrected. "An abomination of a human and youkai coupling in the most basest of ways. Good for nothing but destruction. Non-redeemable. A soul lost before it was even formed."

This time Miroku could not hold Inuyasha back. Letting out a foul curse, Inuyasha raised his claws, cracking his knuckles, and drove himself forward; intent on gutting the priest before him. Ungai let Inuyasha come towards him without fear. At the last second, he raised the staff in his hand and muttered words of incantation. As if they were alive, the chains rattled briefly and then shot outwards, twisting themselves around Ungai's form. Despite Inuyasha's advanced speed, even though it had been sufficiently weakened by the barriers, the manacles on the chains clamped down on his wrists and ankles with unerring aim. Before Miroku could blink, Inuyasha was laying across the altar table unable to move.

Miroku and Sango made aid their friend,when Ungai raised his hand, holding the knife within it, and plunged it into Inuyasha's shoulders. "Do not cross the circle," Ungai told them tightly as they neared the outer most circle of holy script. "If you do, you kill your friend."

"What is the meaning of this, Ungai?!" Miroku demanded to know as Ungai's acolytes moved around them to form a larger circle around the altar.

Ungai had lowered the silver bowl and was collecting the blood draining from Inuyasha's shoulder wound. Once the bowl was full, he withdrew the knife with a sharp jerk and walked back over to where they stood. "He had to be forced onto the altar. It would not accept a willing sacrifice."

"Inuyasha is not a sacrifice!" Sango yelled.

"Silly little girl," Ungai said in return. "Thinking you know everything. You are too young to know the true ways of the world we live in. This was a necessary step. Do not fear. His youki is strong, despite the fact he is a half-breed. Such containment will not kill him. Now I shall begin the calling. Have you something of the girl's for me?"

Miroku wished he had his staff with him, but Ungai had been insistent that he leave even that behind. His eyes turned to Inuyasha. The hanyou seemed to be fighting against the now glowing chains that held him, but, whatever they were, he could only move in small twitches. Already the wound at his shoulder had closed and the altar had drunk the rest of his blood that had split into itself. What kind of place was this? He had heard what the Lady Kikyou had said, but he had not grasped the situation entirely. "Do. It," he heard Inuyasha's pained grunt.

Ungai smiled with satisfaction as he accepted the few strands of hair the priest provided. "This will more than do," he said as he turned and faced another altar built into the wall that Miroku had not even noticed before.

Ungai's acolytes tightened their circle around Inuyasha, hands held out before him as they chanted low under the breath. Sango moved up next to Miroku and leaned her head into him. "From what I know of these things, there is nothing we can do now but wait for Kagome to come."

"And if she does not?" Miroku whispered back. He did not want their conversation overheard either.

"Inuyasha's pain will only grow. His youkai nature will override him and he'll have to be put down. Or placed in entrapment, if that truly is what this place is for."

"I sensed the wards we walked through earlier. They allowed Inuyasha to pass with ease. Why then would Shippou and Kirara not be allowed here as well?"

"The same thought crossed my mind, Miroku. I think the good Master Ungai needs careful watching."

"And I hope we have not made a dangerous error in doing this."

***

Kagome was running for all she was worth, trying to not squish Myoga any more than she already had, when something suddenly knocked her to the ground. For a brief instant she thought Sesshoumaru had found her and she let out an ear-piercing scream in hopes of deafening him for a moment. As she screamed, she rolled onto her back to face the threat behind her and met nothing but darkness. Stunned because there was nothing there, she stopped screaming midway through and just laid there. Feeling something struggling against her fist, she opened her hand and Myoga jumped up onto her shirt, gasping for breath. "I'm sorry," she muttered weakly. "I fell."

Her eyes looked over to where she'd fallen and saw nothing that could possibly have tripped her. She might not be the most graceful of people, but she usually didn't trip over her own feet. Shaking her head at her own clumsiness, Kagome stood and looked down at the little flea youkai. She fully expected for him to have jumped away. "You're still here?"

"I cannot abandon you," he said almost solemnly.

"Why, Myoga," Kagome said with her first smile of the night. "That's so sweet of you."

Kagome rolled back over and pushed herself up onto her feet once more. Suddenly another sharp pain stabbed into her shoulder. Kagome yelled out again and dropped back to her knees, her hand covering the wounded area. "What is going on?!" she said between shooting pains.

Her heart started beating rapidly. Her breathing increased uncontrollably until she was nearly panting like the very dog she was running from. Then it was almost as if an invisible noose was laid around her throat and tightened. Her breath was stalled for a moment as she was yanked physically forward, falling down into the dirt of the forest floor once more. Now she knew how Inuyasha felt when she sat him as she tried to rise and could not. "Myoga?" she asked, unable to find the flea.

"This is not Sesshoumaru's doing," Myoga answered from the darkness. He was so tiny Kagome couldn't see him.

"Then what is going on?"

"It is a calling," he replied, his voice more serious than she had ever heard before.

Kagome was tired of many things, but mostly of not understanding what was going on around her. As soon as she was out of this latest predicament, she would dedicate much time to learning more about the people around her—much to Sango and Miroku's pleasure, she was sure. They were always trying to get her to act more like everyone else in this age, but she'd always wanted to stand out. And look where that had gotten her! She was running from an enraged daiyoukai dealing with abandonment issues and was now pinned to the ground by an invisible rope while an unseen blade sank into her shoulder. "A what?"

"A calling," Myoga replied. "Someone with strong spiritual ties, or the use of strong spiritual objects, has obtained something of yours. For a youkai it would be a claw or fang perhaps. For a human, it could be any number of personal things. Your species sheds at a remarkable rate." Sensing Kagome's irritation with his digression, Myoga continued. "Whoever they are, they have tied this object of yours with something else that you value and are trying to get you to come to them."

She tried to force herself upwards once more and was slammed back down onto the ground. Kagome, for some reason, felt an overwhelming desire to laugh maniacally and wondered if that was what the crazy Sesshoumaru was doing right then. She easily squashed the urge and thoughts of the daiyoukai as another pain ripped through her. Whoever had plunged the invisible knife into her shoulder had just removed it. Taking her hand away from her chest, she gasped when she saw that it was covered in blood. A quick glance downwards revealed the clothing she wore was covered in blood as if she _had_ been stabbed. Now that was a first. She'd been bitten numerous times, but never stabbed before. "I've really been stabbed!"

"You are fine," Myoga assured her. "You are only feeling the pain of the one being used to call you."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome breathed. "It has to be Inuyasha. Kikyou told me he was going to sacrifice himself to save me."

Myoga jumped up onto her nose so that she could see him more clearly. "Kagome, you must listen to me," he said and watched as the girl practically went cross-eyed to do as he asked. "This will affect you greatly if you let it, but if you use your own energies against it, you can numb it."

"But then I won't know where Inuyasha is..." she said weakly, the noose tightening around her neck as she tried to struggle against it.

"There is an invisible thread linking you together. You will find him, but not on your hands and knees."

_Did Myoga always act like this? No. He didn't. What was the little youkai on and where could she get some? _Kagome shook her head, which was slowly fogging over. Then she closed her eyes and reached deep within herself, past the slowly rebuilding ties she held with Sesshoumaru. She reached into the heart of herself, wrapping her inner hands around the bright sphere that represented her inner strength. Holding tightly, she forced that sphere to come upward and outward. Myoga jumped away just in time to escape the bursting of spiritual energy that washed over her body, lighting up the area she was in like it was the middle of the day. When her energy subsided and sunk back within herself, building up its barriers once again to protect itself, Kagome released a ragged breath of blissful ease as the noose seemed to slip away and she could stand once more.

The first thing she did was look at her shoulder and see that her skin was truly unmarred. Then she looked around for Myoga. "Myoga?" she called out softly.

There was no reply, but Kagome knew she hadn't vaporized the little flea. He had an uncanny ability to escape. Of course that meant it could be only one other thing. Danger was near. "So much for not abandoning me," Kagome muttered.

***


	13. Chapter 13

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Thirteen ~

SANGO watched as her friend suffered for the sake of another. Where was Kagome? It hadn't been long, but she didn't know how much more of this she could take. Inuyasha, she could tell, was trying to thrash wildly on the altar but the chains were holding him in place. He was snarling and growling and screaming as the chains continued to glow and the priests continued to chant. Ungai moved away from the shrine he had been bowed before to stand beside her. Sango took a step away from him and closer to Miroku, praying the monk would be controlling himself. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye told her she didn't have to worry. Miroku's eyes were only on Inuyasha and his hands remained clenched into fists at his side.

A fierce growl Sango had only heard a few times in her life brought her eyes snapping back towards Inuyasha. "He's transforming," she said as she watched the magenta stripes emerge on Inuyasha's cheeks. His head snapped violent to the right, looking towards them, and Sango almost took a step back at the utter cruelty and blood lust she saw in Inuyasha's eyes. "Worry not, child," Ungai said from beside her. "The half-breed is contained."

"He needs the Tessaiga," Miroku said from her left.

"A youkai blade has no place here."

"It binds his youkai blood," Sango explained, thinking that perhaps Ungai wasn't aware of this fact. Why should he be? "His father was a very strong youkai and if he doesn't keep his youkai blood contained, it could kill him."

"Would that be such a loss?" she heard Ungai ask, but she couldn't believe he'd actually said that.

She knew the priest hated youkai, but still. Did he want them to attack him? Her mouth opened to reply, but Miroku beat her to it. "Master Ungai," he said, his voice as sharp as a blade, "Your prejudices against our friend grow tiring. Can you not see that he risks his very life for that of a human, a miko?"

Ungai's eyes narrowed sharply as he regarded the monk without reply. Sango made to leave and Ungai turned his eyes from the belligerent monk towards her. "You cannot leave this place, slayer."

He reached out and placed his hand upon Sango's shoulder. It was easy for her to move out of his grasp. Years of training and honing her reflexes made such movements second nature. She spun away, glaring at the elder priest. "What do you think you are doing?"

"If you leave, you will break the wards protecting us."

Inuyasha growled loudly, his muscles straining against the bonds that held him. His claws were curling in against himself, trying to rip off his own arms in his struggle to get free. Blood flowed thickly down his arms where his claws had managed to twist into his skin. "This is not worth his life," Sango answered, her glare increasing. "There has to be another way."

She saw Miroku moving slowly around her, trying not to draw Ungai's notice. If she could keep Ungai's focus on her, perhaps Miroku could reach the Tenseiga? Sango was sure Inuyasha didn't have much time left and she would do anything to aid her friend. So she took a step to her left, making towards the entrance but also away from it so that Miroku had a chance. "You cannot hold us here."

Ungai pointed his finger towards the altar. His voice was laced with anger and accusation. "Leave and those chains let him loose."

"If I stay, I risk the life of my friend."

"Then it appears you have a choice, youkai slayer," Ungai said, stressing her chosen profession. "Save a human or save a youkai, a half-breed."

"Inuyasha has as much a right to live as anyone else!"

Miroku made his move towards the opening and Sango readied herself for the struggle she knew would come. Ungai's eyes widened briefly as he finally noticed Miroku's movements but then a smile of satisfaction came to his face. Sango was confused. Why was he smiling? A quick glance over her shoulder revealed Miroku crumpled on the ground, a trickle of blood seeping out of the cut on his forehead. His attacker, another one of Ungai's acolytes who had remained outside the cave, stood over the monk's prone form holding the staff he'd used to knock Miroku into unconsciousness.

She could tell that Miroku merely knocked out. Both relieved and frustrated at the same time, Sango's head snapped back towards Ungai. Having had to leave her Hirakotsu and her wakizashi behind with Kirara, she snapped her arm forward and the dagger there unsheathed itself. "Deceiver," she hissed before launching herself at Ungai.

***

Sesshoumaru came to a silent stop, all his senses telling him that his wayward mate was nearby. The smell of her blood was thick in the air. The taste of her energies was just as strong. She'd released them recently in a concentrated burst. There were no other youkai in the nearby area. Why had she done so? Was she aware that he was close to her now? In silent reply, he flared his own energies to blanket the area and felt it as his youki washed over her. She was waiting for him, ready for him. This darker half of uncontrolled jealousy and anger inside of him wanted to leap to her, ripping and tearing away at her flesh as punishment for leaving him, but her presence, her nearness, had a calming effect even over that wild creature.

A flick of his wrist utilized his youki whip to tear the trees in half that dared to block his way to his mate. They landed with a resounding crash. As soon as the dirt and debris settled, he stepped forward fully expecting to find the little miko running from him again. Instead he found her standing there, fists balled at her side, chin raised defiantly. There was a blood soaking the front of the kimono he'd given her to wear, but she was unharmed. It wasn't even her blood, but he couldn't tell whose. Her scent masked it completely. Her aura swirled around her body in gentle waves, arguing against the fierce look in her eyes. "Miko," he intoned slowly.

Kagome nearly took a step backwards as the crazed daiyoukai broke into the clearing she was in. It was a terrifyingly beautiful sight. Trees probably older than the daiyoukai were brushed aside as if they were nothing. His youki was flaring almost wildly, giving the effect of an unnatural wind brushing through his long hair. It was pressing almost painfully upon her and she could feel her own aura flaring to match his. Instead of being the gentle fingers from before, his youki was grabbing her roughly, wanting to force her into a state of submission. Fighting against the urge to do so, Kagome looked into eyes that were so red they almost appeared black. She could not even make out his pupils within their depths and they glowed with a fierce heat all their own. The stripes on his high cheek bones were darker in color and jagged with his rage. When he took a menacing step forward the very ground seemed to shake and crack as the spiritual pressure within him affected the world around them. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she replied with a graceful nod of her head, surprising herself with the ability to keep her voice level and calm.

When she spoke her voice echoed in his ears. He never thought he'd find the sound of it so satisfying, but, after denying himself the company of her voice in favor of merely holding her, he realized he missed speaking with her. That was something to contemplate later, though. At the moment, he had a miko to remind as to whom she belonged to. He raised one finger and wagged it slowly back and forth as a smile blossomed on his lips. He spoke to her as if she were a child in need of reprimanding. "Ah, ah, ah, my little miko. We are not amused and such speech will not help you now."

_What?_ _We? _her mind supplied for her, but she kept her body in an easy but ready state. Knowing she needed to draw him into her, she turned her head slightly, baring her throat to try and placate him but still keeping eye contact. In the back of her mind, she knew, she _knew_, that keeping eye contact with a dog was a direct challenge, but she had never been the meek one. He would become suspicious if she suddenly made herself so before him.

Sesshoumaru took another step forward and increased the pressure of his youki onto her. He wanted to see her glow and was only too pleased when she finally gave into the urge he knew she was feeling and let loose her aura. It flared almost golden around her, causing her beautiful eyes to fill with the light that was all her own. His smile widened minutely, but he was aware that she noticed it. He was also aware as to how her aura was responding to his own--even if she seemed not to. It was dancing with his, pushing and pulling, wanting him and denying him. The process was almost infuriating to watch. Turning his eyes away from the light show visible only to him, he looked back into the miko's eyes. She was trying to make it seem as if she was surrendering herself to his will, but he knew her better than that. She would be defiant until the very end it seemed. "It seems we find ourselves complete at last, miko," he said with undisguised relish.

Kagome, not having a reply nor wanting to voice the one in her mind supplied, merely inclined her head slightly and pushed her aura further out. Sesshoumaru took another step towards her. "Have we decided to stop running?"

"I have."

He released a low warning growl as he took another step forward. He could tell that she was fighting with herself. She wanted to flee and that would have been a logical answer if it were anyone else she faced. He was a threat, after all, but he would never allow her to go and she knew this. She'd locked in her legs to try and keep them from moving and her balled fists she'd forced to unclench. "And you think staying here now, trying to act meek," he added with a rising of his brows at her poor acting, "Will save you?"

His feral smile widened and the heat in his eyes increased. It almost felt as if he were trying to burn her alive. Her betraying body took a step backwards and she gasped when she realized what she'd done. Before she could correct her mistake, a snarl issued forth from Sesshoumaru. His mokomoko-sama shot out from its curled place around his shoulder and wrapped her completely from shoulder to knee, tightening until she was forced to release an almost pained squeak. Then Sesshoumaru was standing before her. His clawed hand rested gently against the side of her face, contradicting the fierce gaze of his eyes. "I thought you had decided to stop running, miko."

"And I thought you knew my thoughts," she shot back before she could stop herself.

At the remembrance of being separated from her, his youki flared up again. The mokomoko-sama, a part of him and yet not, tightened even more painfully around her of its own violation. His clawed hand that he'd kept resting so lightly upon her for comfort giving purposes curled slightly. His claws lightly pricked her skin and tiny droplets of blood blossomed, the sweet additional scent making her even more of a temptation. "Bitch," he hissed. "You are mine."

Kagome could feel the life being slowly squeezed from her body. The mokomoko-sama had curled up around her neck, winding its way around it. It pushed her head further to the side, baring her throat and her now bloodied cheek even more to the daiyoukai before her and forcing her to avert her eyes. His clawed hand trailed down her throat to wrap itself around her throat. The slightest pressure of his fingers against her skin brought back memories of a nightmare almost forgotten and Kagome closed her eyes, willing herself to not remember. He leaned forward and his long tongue washed over the pinpricks his claws had made in her skin. "You are mine," he whispered next to her face. His breath tickled her senses, as if it was a feather brushing across her face. "I will never let you go."

Sesshoumaru moved so close to her that she could feel his body heat. His youki continued to press down upon her, but its fingers became slow caresses across her skin. His hand moved up from her throat to grasp her chin and turned her head to face him. Kagome closed her eyes, not wanting to challenge him in her current state. Then she let out a startled gasp and her eyes shot open as she felt his lips being placed softly upon her own.

His lips were as soft as they looked but with an underlying feeling of steel, like the rest of him. She recalled being kissed by him in her dreams before, but no dream could prepare her for the reality. When she remained still underneath him, he let loose another low growl and Kagome willed herself to become less stiff, more pliant. She wanted to placate him so he would let her go.

Sesshoumaru felt her relax slightly underneath his touch. Her large eyes, still frightened and confused, closed once more. He almost ordered her to open them again, wanting to see in her eyes if what she was doing to him was affecting her too, but his lips had other ideas. His tongue darted out to taste her and her lips parted as she took in a reluctant breath. Taking full advantage of the reaction, he delved deeper into the kiss; more than pleased when she seemed to respond. Then his mouth moved away from hers after giving her lower lip a gentle, almost playful nip with his fang. He swept slowly down to her jaw, kissing her skin tenderly and flicking it with his tongue. Her taste was as exciting as her smell.

Traveling up her jaw to her ear, he felt a shiver race through her body as his tongue traced the outline of her ear. With a slight smile, he latched, gently, onto her lobe and gave it a light suckle. Her body reacted as he knew it would and a soft moan escaped her lips. Sesshoumaru knew she didn't want to react to what he was doing, but he wasn't going to give her the choice. He wanted her to think of nothing _but_ him. He was tired of her thinking of his half-brother.

Kagome fought back another groan as his lips released her delicate ear and began traveling slowly down her neck, lightly nipping and sucking as they moved with obvious skill. She could feel her body reacting to his advances and she tried to stop herself. _But why? _her mind supplied. _Because this is wrong_, she answered back. "Sess..Sesshoumaru?" she said, not really knowing what she would do if he answered her and hating the fact that she stuttered.

He heard her voice calling his name, the sound of it even sweeter when coming from her lips, and he chose not to answer her. Instead he moved his hand slowly down the length of her body. The mokomoko-sama adjusted itself to allow him free access to her. His fingers kept in constant contact with her and he wished there was nothing to separate them. His body was burning, inside and out, and it was all because of her. Knowing she was skittish still, knowing she did not really and truly accept this yet with her whole being, he settled his hand possessively against her hip. She was a perfect fit against him and he fought against releasing his own groan of approval. His fingers, resting lightly against the curve of her hip, began stroking slowly back and forth in place. He took in a deep shuddering breath of air and placed his lips up against her neck once more. "You want this one," breathed against her skin.

_Did she? _Kagome found herself mentally asking. The torrent of emotions that had been rocketing through her system had ebbed when he'd arrived, but only to return the instant he'd touched her. Yes, her body was reacting to his seduction. What sane woman wouldn't? But she didn't really want this. She _did _want this, but not with him. But still...

He drew back from her, his still blood red eyes locking with hers. Her eyes were open once more and in their depths he could see the same confusion had only grown. The emotions from before were chasing across them. She did want this, but then again, she did not. Why? He leaned in slowly and sniffed her. Her body was covered in scents. A youkai _had_ touched her, but the youkai was of little importance at the moment. He could deal with the trespasser later…after he'd dealt with her. Then there was the smell of the blood on the kimono. Once again it wasn't hers or the youkai's who'd touched her, he knew, but then whose was it? Her aura was still masking its owner. Why? Was it a reflexive action because she feared what he'd do when he learned the truth? The most overpowering scent, though, was of her body's attraction to him. It almost completely killed all the other smells that surrounded her. She was aroused, strongly. "You want this one," he repeated, almost sounding surprised. Why he would be surprised by this, he wasn't sure.

Was that a trace of wonder in his voice? Kagome couldn't be sure. She looked into his eyes, but they were still crimson and unreadable. His mokomoko-sama loosened slightly, allowing her to take in a much needed deep breath of air. Then he leaned in again, placing his forehead against her own. His eyes never left her face and Kagome found she could not look away from his burning orbs. "Kagome...," he whispered, shocking her when she heard her own name come from him. He'd never called her anything other than miko or girl before and the way he said her name sounded so sensual and yet at the same time almost pained. "Kagome...tell me you want this one. Tell me you will never leave me."

He was pleading with her. The crimson lights in his eyes glowed briefly and then lessened slightly as they took on an appearance of a wounded puppy. Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but found she didn't know what to say. He looked as if he were in so much pain. She could feel her own emotions racing through his blood. Myoga had said they would share with each other and she could tell that Sesshoumaru was as unstable as she was at that moment in time. If she denied him now that would make her the monster...and a bit of a liar. She would be the one crushing him. This power was new to her and Kagome wasn't sure if she enjoyed knowing she had it.

An insistent tug at the back of her mind reminded her that she had some place she needed to be. Kagome closed her eyes, feeling Sesshoumaru's breath brush feather light across her skin. The hand at her waist was still clutching her, his claws lightly scraping back and forth across her skin through the fabric of the kimono she wore. The sensation was maddening. "Tell me," he said again, his voice slightly harder than before. The pressure of his hand increased. Her trouble in answering was raising his ire again.

Sesshoumaru did not understand why she wouldn't answer him; why she wouldn't give him the words he sought. A deep growl issued forth from his throat, vibrating through his body and into hers. He pressed himself closer, not wanting to lose contact with her in any way. Their auras continued to dance around him, but he ignored their captivating movements in favor of watching the woman in front of him.

She could feel the cold of his armor, a stark difference from the heat radiating from his body, as he pressed himself against her and found herself wishing it were gone and that nothing stood between them. What was wrong with her?! The insistent tugging was back and Inuyasha's face exploded inside her fogged mind. Kagome released a slow breath as Sesshoumaru's hand tightened a little bit more on her waist. He knew who she was thinking of and he didn't like it. Could she blame him? Not really. If she was dead set on someone being hers, she wouldn't like them thinking of someone else, either. Hell, she'd gone through this very thing with Inuyasha and Kikyou for a time. But that didn't mean she would, or could, just stop loving and thinking of someone. Besides, Inuyasha needed her far more than this daiyoukai did. _At least, for now_, she thought.

Locking her eyes with his, she willed him to see sanity as she said, "Please release me, Sesshoumaru."

***

Sango's dagger collided with Ungai's staff with a ringing clash. His acolytes circling Inuyasha did not move a muscle nor stop their chanting at the sound and Sango knew why. There were at least four more men behind her. But that wouldn't stop her from trying. She was not an easy target to take down. Letting out a high pitched whistle, Sango hoped Kirara would hear her and come. She didn't want to have to face these odds on her own.

Ungai smirked at her attack. He was protected somehow and moved faster than Sango thought humanly possible. Every strike she made against him, he blocked with expert ease. He may consider himself a youkai slayer, but he did not have her training nor her background. Her people were the original slayers, the original protectors of the Shikon no Tama, and trained in their arts by Midoriko herself.

The four men behind her did nothing to interfere in their struggle.

She found herself being driven backwards, towards Miroku's prone form. Not wanting to step on the man when he didn't deserve it—for once—Sango circled and slashed at Ungai's midsection as she placed herself with more room behind her. Ungai dodged her attack and struck out with his own staff, leaving a slight opening. Sango used that opening to strike forward. Her arm shot past his defenses. She slammed the blade of her dagger downward into his arm and slid it back next to her body. The sleeve of his robe was split open and blood blossomed, letting her know she'd managed to cut him deeply. Her joy at getting a strike through his defenses, though, was short lived as the priest attacked back. She barely missed a jab of his staff. Then his wrist twisted and four sharpened blades shot out of the head of his staff, slicing through the air with lethal accuracy. She had to put herself off balance to keep from being sliced herself and Ungai used that rare moment against her. He swept out with his feet, catching her behind her knees and furthering her loss of footing.

She found herself falling backwards and then slamming into the ground. Sango rolled, barely missing Ungai's deadly strike that surely would have seriously wounded her. She crouched before him, dagger in a protective position, and glared up at the priest before her. She knew of nothing human made that could give such strength and abilities to a man besides a shard of the Shikon no Tama, but Ungai wouldn't have one of those. Would he? _Oh, if only you were here, Kagome_, she thought briefly. "You have grown stronger, Ungai. What youkai magics do you use?"

He laughed at her words. "I despise youkai and all they represent and create," he answered. "And my new staff does as well."

At his words, the staff in his hands glowed with purifying energy that spread to the rest of his body. This energy was nothing like Kagome's. It seemed tainted somehow. Then Sango recalled Kikyou's words and she remembered that Ungai's original staff had been broken in his confrontation with Sesshoumaru. "You found that staff here. It must have belonged to one of the original priests who entrapped youkai spirits using innocent mikos as bait."

"Innocent? Anyone who allows themselves to be touched by a youkai is no longer innocent. Including yourself, slayer."

With a snarl, Ungai lunged forward, stopping Sango's sideways movements she'd been making while they spoke. While she wasn't a youkai, his spiritual energy still acted against her, making his thrusts stronger. She barely blocked a strike meant for her throat. "You cannot win here, slayer," he said as he advanced again. "The half-breed will die. The daiyoukai will die. The miko will die. The monk will die. You will die. Your youkai friends," he continued, spitting out the word friends as if it were distasteful, "Will die, too. Your filth and influence shall be erased once and for all!"

With each word he spoke, he struck against her. Sango blocked each one with patience, waiting for her time. Then it came. She saw another opportunity to strike and went for it. She didn't realize until too late that Ungai had left the opening on purpose. His staff blocked her at the last moment. His sandal, the underside lined with metal, snapped downward onto her dagger and broke the blade almost too easily. Then his foot connected with her jaw, sending her sprawling backwards into the waiting hands of the four men who had been watching them. "Tie the slayer and the monk up. They are not needed at the moment," Ungai said as he turned back to face the altar.

Sango did not stop struggling for an instant even though her head was ringing from the kick. One of the men was caught, unluckily for him, by one of her kicks right in the knee. He buckled, letting out a loud bellow of pain. Then his eyes snapped with anger and he backhanded her with a closed fist. Sango's head snapped to the side with a jerk, her head connecting with the wall they had her pinned against. The last sound she heard was Inuyasha's bestial scream.

Ungai looked back over his shoulder to where the slayer's struggles had finally ceased. "Is she still alive?" he questioned.

"Yes, master."

"Good. Finish tying her up and make the ropes tight. Search her for any other...surprises she may have." He turned to the one follower still standing by the entrance. "And the two youkai outside?"

"Contained, Master Ungai," the follower said with a low bow. "The slayer's youkai scent beads worked very well."

"Good. Keep an eye out for our little priestess now. See that she makes it here unharmed and unhindered. And when the daiyoukai follows, you are to stay clear of him. Downwind, if at all possible."

"Yes, Master Ungai," the four men replied in union.

Ungai nodded his head and turned back to the altar. The half-breed was bleeding profusely. The dark altar was greedily drinking up his blood, giving the chains holding him his own strength to use against him. The four behind him bowed once more and then filed soundlessly out of the room and back into the night where the rest of his followers were waiting for further instruction. Yes, everything was going nicely.

***

A/N: For those not in the know, Sango's wakizashi is her katana-like sword. A wakizashi is shorter than a katana and is often carried with one. Learned this from Wikipedia (God I love that site). If my info is wrong, please feel free to correct me and the site. Cause Wikipedia is cool like that and so am I! :-)


	14. Chapter 14

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Fourteen ~

SESSHOUMARU moved away from her as her words reached him. Softly said, they still sliced through his lustful demanding haze like a sword. His eyes narrowed as he now glared down at her from a short step away. He didn't trust himself to be within touching distance of her at the moment. As it was, his mokomoko-sama was hard enough to control. It wanted to knock the girl senseless of breath so he could take her back to where she escaped from. Of course that place wouldn't hold her any more. It wouldn't do. No, he would keep her by his side always. That seemed to be his only option where keeping the miko contained was concerned. Perhaps a collar and leash should be fetched? She was his bitch, after all. But for the moment he had other, more important, situations to deal with now. Such as understanding what exactly his future mate had just said to him. "What did you say, miko?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked over the change in Sesshoumaru. He was still wild, still crazed, but there was a coolness to him now that hadn't been there before. It was almost like the Sesshoumaru she knew was back, but not quite. He was still a little…off. "I...I need to go, Sesshoumaru. I can't help it."

His head cocked to the side momentarily as he studied her. She wasn't lying. "Whose blood is that, miko?"

Kagome glanced down towards her shoulder where the invisible knife had been plunged into her. "I don't know."

She was lying now and Sesshoumaru let out a low growl of warning. "You are lying."

"I'm not sure, okay?!"

"That is better, miko. Now lower your voice."

She complied immediately which only irritated him all the more. "Please, Sesshoumaru, I'm needed."

He wanted to fall into that voice. He wanted her to need him. Why had he fallen so hard, so fast? This had to be the rage he'd been feeling driving these things. He did not feel that way towards this woman. Did he? "Needed, miko?"

She did not like how flat his voice had become while his eyes remained red. She'd never seen him like this before. "Yes."

"This one needs you, miko. No one else. Just I."

"No. You don't understand."

She was pleading with him, begging for something from him. But it was for someone else. _Inuyasha_, his mind supplied and Sesshoumaru growled internally. He _knew _who the miko was thinking of. "I understand perfectly, miko. You are thinking of Inuyasha. I can tell."

"Yes. He needs me."

"I NEED YOU!" he found himself roaring back at her.

Shocked by his outburst, something he would never do, Sesshoumaru paused and looked down at the woman before him. Then he noticed it; a whisper thin invisible string that seemed to be looped around his miko's throat leading off into the forest behind her. He'd been so consumed by the emotions that had risen when he'd lost her that he hadn't noticed it before. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he traced its path. Scenting the winds, he could smell humans off in the distance. There was also a faint trace of his half-brother and his pack members. He could smell no dangers, but something was blocking his senses. A barrier, perhaps?

Moving forward, he reached out to her throat, noticing her flinch but ignoring it. One clawed finger hooked around the invisible string as he used his youki to make it solid to his touch. Giving the string a slight pull, he heard the miko make a quiet gasp of pain. She was hurting? Good. His eyes followed the direction of the string once more. "Who has done this?" he asked aloud, not intending for a response.

"I...I don't know."

His eyes looked down at her, briefly, and then returned to the forest before him. "And yet you would run blindly to them? Without knowing if they mean you ill or not? How have you lived this long if you always rush forward so?"

Kagome knew Sesshoumaru was correct, but still. "It's Inuyasha!" she said in protestation.

He growled low in his throat. "Do not mention that name to me again, miko. I cannot promise I will not hurt you if it passes your lips one more time."

"Please, Sesshoumaru," she begged him again.

Tears were forming in her eyes as he pulled on the string once more. There was definitely a barrier. More than likely there were several layered one on top of another. This was not the work of a youkai. Holy men had a hand in this. His eyes narrowed as his mind listed off the priests he was aware of who had this type of ability. There were not many, but one or two of the lesser ones could have gained some manner of strength since last they'd met. So this was how Inuyasha planned to get his miko from him? Sesshoumaru would have laughed at the pathetic attempt if he wasn't so angered by it. Whoever had initiated this calling had not intended the miko to survive it judging by the placement of the calling string. His brother was as idiotic as he'd always thought. Inside his mind, Sesshoumaru smiled. He would use the hanyou's idiocy against him. "Miko," he said, trying to ease the harshness from his voice. "I believe an alliance is in order."

She looked stunned by his words. "An alliance?"

He fought against the need to comfort her. The miko did not deserve any "Yes. This one will aid you in saving the half-breed. In return you will go with me, willingly, and leave him behind. And you will never run from me again, miko."

"I can't do that. I can't just leave everything behind. I have a life! I have responsibilities! I have a family!"

"Then Inuyasha will die and you will remain with me all the same. Leashed to my side, if need be. Not that this one finds any guilt or pain where the hanyou is concerned. I was thinking only of sparing you such..._emotions_."

The miko hung her head; sadness hung about her so thick he could taste it. Finally she looked back up towards him. "Sesshoumaru?"

The way she said his name drew his eyes back to her face. "Miko."

"If I agree to go with you once all of this is over with, you'll let me go to Inu-- him?"

He raised a brow at her near slip, but commented not on it. He merely nodded his head and waited. He didn't have to wait long. She nodded her head with certainty. "Then you have my word."

Did his brother truly mean that much to her? She would sacrifice everything to tie herself to him, who she viewed as a monster, for _his_ _brother's _sake? The thought nearly sickened him. "Very well, miko."

A flick of his fingers brought his mokomoko-sama back to its place on his shoulder. The miko stood there shivering in the cold of the evening air. She looked beautiful still and Sesshoumaru had to fight going back to her side. Then she took a step towards him. Wondering at her boldness, Sesshoumaru stayed where he was. This reminded him of another time she had approached him. Would she do the same as she had then? Would she touch him willingly? As much as he loathed feeling her touch right then, he also wanted it. Craved it, if he admit the truth of the matter.

She stopped in front of him, looking up at him. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said softly.

"Do not, miko. Do not."

Then her hands reached out and laid flat against his curiass, her fingertips barely touching the spiked pauldron above her hands. She pushed upwards onto her toes, reaching for him, but she was still too short. Still unsure of what she was about but more than willing to allow her access to his person, Sesshoumaru inclined slightly so that she could reach him and almost lost control again when she placed her soft, beautiful lips against his. She pulled away from their brief encounter before he could react, though. Her eyes looked sad. "I _want_ to thank you and I want to apologize, as well."

"And what do you believe you have to apologize for, miko?" he asked, angered with himself as his voice lost its iciness and took on a more husky tone.

"This," she said simply.

Then he felt it. Her spiritual essence was rushing in to the hands she had placed against his chest. She let it out in a concentrated blast that threw him off his feet and sent him flying backwards into the very trees he had so recently demolished. His body landed with a loud thud that rang in his sensitive ears and his armor crumbled into pieces. Her purifying energies were crawling over his body, weakening him. Not even his mokomoko-sama could do more than twitch pitifully at his side. She was so much stronger than before. Still, she hadn't released enough to kill him. Just to contain him, however briefly.

Hearing her approaching footsteps and wondering if she was coming to finish what she'd started, he forced his eyes opened and glared up at her. She walked over as calmly as could be and sat down on her knees beside him. One of her hands came out and lay across his chest over his heart. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru, but I cannot have you involved in this. And I will keep my word. Once this is over and done with, I will go with you and never run again."

"Do not leave me again, Kagome," he managed to bite out before another wave of her energies washed over him and he knew nothing.

***

Kagome stayed sitting next to Sesshoumaru's unconscious form, her hand still on his chest. It was rising and falling smoothly and his heart was beating strongly underneath her palm. Closing her eyes, fighting back against a sudden need to cry, she opened them once more and moved even closer to him. Her other hand came up to lie gently across his face. In sleep he looked so different. It was almost endearing, the unguarded peace he showed, even if that peace had been forced by her hand. She moved up to brush his bangs away from his face. Never having truly touched his hair before, she was not surprised to find it silky soft against her flesh. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," she whispered again.

Forcing herself to stand and move away from him, she closed her eyes once more and concentrated with all her being. When she opened her eyes again, a faint shimmering light had settled over the daiyoukai. It was a thin barrier, but strong with her own essence. She did not know how long he would be unconscious for, but she did not believe it would be for long. Sesshoumaru was a powerful daiyoukai, almost immune to true purification. He'd only been unseated in her attack because she'd managed to do the impossible and surprise him. When he came to he would be even more enraged than before, she knew, but that wouldn't stop her now. She'd come too far and was too close to Inuyasha to even think of retreating.

Turning away from the slumbering form laying before her, Kagome put her hand around her throat. When Sesshoumaru had touched her there she had felt as if he were pulling on something. That must be the invisible link Myoga had been speaking of when he said someone was calling her to Inuyasha's side. As thoughts of the hanyou filled her mind, the string gave another slight tug, causing her to stumble forward. Kagome gasped as Inuyasha's pain breached the barriers her mind had erected. He was dying. She could feel it.

Sprinting forward, she did not slow until the pressure of her connection with Inuyasha grew so strong it was nearly staggering. As she came to a stop, she had to lean against a tree for support. Even though she was stronger now with her complete soul, the two blasts of spiritual energy she'd had to release and the barrier she'd erected around Sesshoumaru had weakened her. And the farther she drew away from Sesshoumaru, the more she had to concentrate on keeping the barrier she'd placed around him intact. It would only be worse once he woke and started fighting against it.

Knowing time of was of the importance, Kagome looked over the area she was in. There was a mouth of a cave across the way but no signs of anyone being about. The grass near the cave's entrance was slightly trampled which indicated someone or some ones had been passing through there. The invisible string gave another tug and Kagome knew where she had to go.

Moving forward slowly, she let her senses spread out. They were faint, weakened, but still let her know no one was in the immediate area. She could tell there were youkai about, but something was familiar about them. Perhaps it was Kirara and Shippou? If it was them, why were they not in the cave? As if to answer her first question, she passed through a spiritual barrier. A barrier? Drawing her senses back within herself, Kagome straightened her back and continued forward. She passed through several more barriers before even reaching the mouth of the cave, each one stronger than the last, and she wondered how Inuyasha had been able to get through these. Was he in his human form?

A fierce growl sounded from the depths of the cave looming before her and Kagome flinched as she recognized the sound. Balling her hands into fists, she took one step and then another until she'd breached the entrance. There were stone steps carved into the rock that led downward and Kagome could make out a faint light within the darkness below. She moved soundlessly towards it and the closer she drew the louder Inuyasha's growls and snarls became. He was struggling against something or someone. Then, as she rounded the last bend, he whined as if in relief.

Kagome stepped out into the light, knowing there was no other way than a direct confrontation, and her eyes widened in surprise as she took in the scene before her. Inuyasha lay upon a stone altar, fully transformed and bleeding from numerous cuts into his arms. He was surrounded by priests chanting. They had erected what looked like a fiery cone around Inuyasha, but the fire held no heat—at least not to her. But she could see a fine layer of sweat covering her friend's body. Then one of the priests turned and looked at her, as if he expected to see her, and gave a slight bow. "Miko Kagome," the priest said.

He looked familiar and then Kagome remembered him. "Master Ungai?"

"You remember me, miko."

He took a step forward and Kagome took a step back, trying to keep some distance between them. "What is going on here?" she demanded to know.

"Your friends enlisted me to aid them in your recovery, miko."

Kagome's eyes looked around for the others, but they were not there. Why not? Why would they consent to leaving Inuyasha like this? "Where are they?" she asked warily.

"The monk and the youkai slayer are waiting elsewhere. As are the other two youkai companions you travel with, miko. Do not fear. You will see them again as soon as we have released you from the daiyoukai's hold."

"You can't release me, Master Ungai. There's no way."

"So you have sold your soul to the very devil?"

"What?" Kagome said in disbelief. Ungai raised the staff he'd been holding against his side and Kagome watched as his aura flared with purification energy. This energy wasn't like her own, though. It was tinged with blackness, like a corrupted shard. "No, Master Ungai. You don't understand what is going on," she said, hoping to reason with the man. She looked around for Inuyasha's sword, but saw it nowhere. "Please. Where is the Tessaiga?"

"The cursed sword that contains that foul creature's youkai blood? It is safely hidden away, miko."

Kagome flared her weakened powers out around her. Hers clashed with Ungai's and she could see how much stronger her own was. Even with Ungai's seemingly increased strength and she with her weakened ones, there was no way he could match her. "You have been tainted, Master Ungai," Kagome said with strength and power shining in her voice. She needed to end this quickly. A feeling deep within her told her that Inuyasha did not have much longer before his youkai blood fully took control of her friend. When that happened there would be no going back for Inuyasha. "You need to be cleansed."

"I am not the tainted one here, miko. Now where is the daiyoukai?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru is not coming," she said with a defiant tilt of her chin.

"Lord?" he repeated, his voice deceptively soft. Kagome did not miss the glint in his eyes. She'd seen that same light before in dozens of others. "You give that beast the respect of a title?"

Ungai's eyes narrowed, his look of menace nearly rivaling that of Sesshoumaru himself. Kagome stayed her ground, though. Ungai's acolytes, chanting around the altar, could not intervene without breaking their hold on Inuyasha. She could sense several human presences behind her, but they were making no movements to enter the cave. They were probably waiting on Sesshoumaru to arrive. "I give respect where it is due," Kagome said in reply. "Now unhand that staff so that I may destroy it."

In response to her demand, Ungai slammed the staff down in front of him, burying the end of it several inches into the hard rock ground. The ruby jewel encased within a golden circle at the tip glowed with inner lights Kagome recognized as trapped souls. What was this place? Her eyes darted around her quickly, taking in the paintings on the walls. There was nothing there that revealed this shrine's purpose, but Kagome had a vague feeling that she knew. The souls trapped within the ruby jewel were those of mikos, tormented and in pain. Their anguish was what Ungai's spiritual power was feeding off of and it was also what was tainting him. But had he willingly allowed this to happen? Kagome had to know so she would know how to proceed. If he had willingly embraced this fate, she would not hold back. However, if he had somehow been influenced by the staff to take possession of it, she would try her hardest to free him from its curse. "Master Ungai, do you know what you are about?" she asked as she allowed her aura to flare up even more and battle the spiritual pressure he was sending her way.

***

Golden eyes opened slowly. He found himself lying on the ground staring up at the dawning sky. A few clouds floated with ease above him and the birds were beginning their morning song. For a brief moment he wondered where he was and why he was where he was. Then the memories came crashing back.

Sesshoumaru fully expected himself to be pulled back into the black abyss of before, but then he felt the presence of the miko. Knowing she was not there, that she had left him again--for his half-brother--made him want to fall into the rage, but he couldn't. She was present in everything around him, acting as an anchor for his mind…as was the scent of her energy. Like before, she comforted him and made him feel complete.

His body ached like it never had before as he moved into a sitting position and looked around him. That was when he noticed the barrier that encased him. With a growl, he swiped out at it, striking against the fragile looking thing with his claws. His hand was forced back and sparks fluttered. The barrier wavered slightly and then solidified around him again. It might appear to be weak, but it was anything but. _Just like his miko_, he thought with a smirk.

Standing, he inspected every inch of the barrier around him with a push of his youki. It bent slightly to his power and then snapped his own youki back at him. Growling, Sesshoumaru was about to slash at the barrier again when the Tenseiga pulsed at his side. He looked down at the despised sword. It was pulsing and shaking softly. Normally this only happened when Inuyasha was near the Tessaiga. Clasping his hand around the sword, he withdrew it and held the blade up. An image flashed through his mind so fleeting it was almost unrecognizable, but Sesshoumaru did not need to see everything to know who the image was of.

Kagome.

His miko, who'd dared strike back at him but then cared enough to remain with him afterwards, who cared enough to try and protect him as she left him in a vulnerable state, was in danger and the sword wanted him to go to her. _If the sword wants this one to go to her_, he thought, _then the sword had better let this one out of this barrier_.

He pushed his youki through the blade, melding with it, and struck forward. The tip of the blade pierced the barrier and then was grasped. To Sesshoumaru it felt as if a hand had taken a hold of the blade and was physically restraining it. He withdrew it with surprising ease and struck again in the exact same spot. The blade slipped farther through before being taken a hold of again. Sesshoumaru smiled to himself with satisfaction and withdrew only to strike again. This time, though, as the blade pushed even farther through the miko's barrier he put even more of his youki into it and watched as his youki slipped through the sword and into the barrier, appearing as tiny black cracks that lengthened with each push he gave. The barrier did not weaken, but it did waver.

_It will not be long now, miko_, he thought.

***

In the back of her mind something was stabbing her. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. Not wanting to take her focus away from the situation she'd found herself in, Kagome ignored it until she felt as if Sesshoumaru had his hand in her head and was combing around. That was a bit more uncomfortable and she found herself cursing under her breath. Ungai looked at her, his face smug. "Something wrong, miko?" he asked, his voice dripping with false care.

She could tell what he was thinking. Ungai thought that she was being bothered by his spiritual presence. _If only the old priest knew the truth_, she thought with a laugh in her mind. His spiritual pressure was so slight, it compared to the weight of Myoga. The staff, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. "The only thing wrong is that you are still holding that cursed staff, Master Ungai. Do you not know that it contains tormented souls? That you are feeding off their pain? Can you not feel it?"

Ungai's other hand came up to grasp the staff, his fingers giving it a loving stroke. "This jewel has absorbed the souls of the damned for centuries. It takes their life force, which they used in an unclean manner, and funnels it into me so that I may fulfill the will of the Kamis."

Kagome did not really want to know, but she had to ask. "And what will would that be?"

"To rid the world of youkais and those who think to share their lives with them," he answered simply.

"You may think you have the souls of the damned in that jewel, Ungai, but it's not theirs. The souls of mikos reside inside there. I can see them."

"Yes, you are abnormally strong, but truth and righteousness are on my side. You have shared yourself with a youkai, miko, and therefore weakened yourself in the eyes of the Kamis."

Kagome gritted her teeth in frustration. She was not getting through to him! Why were men always so stubborn and why, why did they always try and live off their pride? "Youkai and those who chose to associate with them deserve as much a right to exist as everyone else!"

He sneered at her. "You sound so much like your slayer friend."

She gasped. Kagome had forgotten about them, so intent was she on what was in front of her and on helping Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru, who was still digging through her mind at that time, used her break in concentration to force more of his own youki into the barrier she'd constructed around him. It wouldn't be long before she wouldn't be able to hold it anymore and he would be free. "What have you done with my friends?"

"They are still alive, miko, but you really should worry more for yourself than for them."

Kagome wasn't a fighter. She wasn't like Inuyasha, Miroku, nor Sango when it came to such things. If she could have come to this age and been a hippie, spreading love and joy, she would have been alright with that. Unfortunately life wasn't that easy on her and she'd had to do things she'd never tell her mother about. Therefore, when Ungai suddenly struck out with his staff, she was more than ready for it. Kagome jumped backwards, out of the long reach of the staff. Then he spun at her again. This time four sharpened blades slid soundlessly out of the head of the staff. The blades were infused with spiritual energy. Kagome managed to throw up a weak barrier before her, barely stopping the blades from slicing into her. Their spiritual essences met, sending sparks flying. "You have made yourself weak, miko," Ungai snickered again. "This will be too easy."

Sesshoumaru's words raced through her mind right then. Why she would think of the daiyoukai at a time like this, she wasn't sure, but she didn't stop to ponder that. Sesshoumaru had once told her that she was stronger than she appeared. _Once in a daiyoukai's life, there is a chance of finding the mate that is our equal. _How could she possibly be Sesshoumaru's equal if she was weak? It wouldn't be possible. And how could she be his equal if she constantly held him away from her, ran from him? And why, when her life and the lives of her friends were in danger, was she thinking of that?!

Shaking her head mentally, Kagome focused back onto her original thought. If she were his equal, then she should reflect that. Sesshoumaru ran from nothing. He faced whatever came his way and defeated it. Squaring her shoulders, Kagome decided she would do the same.

Kagome pulled back in the energy she'd been using to contain Sesshoumaru. He was close to breaking through her barrier anyway. It was just a wasteful expenditure on her part and she needed all of herself here and now. And she did _not _need to be feeling his youki splintering its way through her brain anymore! Letting her aura flare out around her, she could now see exactly what Myoga had been talking about. Ringing her aura was a red tinge that she knew was Sesshoumaru's. Even when he was not with her, he was _with _her.

Taking the strength Sesshoumaru offered her, she powered up her energies even more. They whipped wildly about her, creating an unnatural wind. Dirt and pieces of loose stone on the ground were picked up and tossed away by the force of her strength. Some of the debris struck Ungai's acolytes as they chanted, but the priests were of a singular mind and none of them moved away from the danger she presented. Kagome looked at Master Ungai in his cold eyes, eyes that bore no fear and were set in a face filled with a smug expression. He'd yet to try his luck in attacking her as she was now, but he was too confident in himself to be scared of her 'little show'. It was strange how she knew this, but she did. Another _gift _of bonding with Sesshoumaru, perhaps? "I am not weak, Ungai," she hissed. "Come and find out exactly how strong I am."

***


	15. Chapter 15

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Fifteen ~

HE watched as his youki seemed to splinter across the barrier that surrounded him and wondered, briefly, why it was acting so. Then the barrier just seemed to dissipate before him, the strength of it pulled away. Sniffing the air, Sesshoumaru could smell both his scent and the miko's. The strength of the barrier, the one that had contained him, had been created from both his own essence and hers.

This had worked much in the same way as his own barrier had, but was different somehow. There had been a feeling to it that made Sesshoumaru almost growl. The feeling he came to recognize was the miko's _love_. Her love seemed to touch everything she did. She had siphoned off his own energies and attacked him with them and then proceeded to cage him, spreading her own self liberally within the workings of the barrier.

Impressive.

Impressive and irritating.

The miko was strong, yes, but she was human. As such, she should not have the physical form nor the mental capacity to contain his strength. Yet, somehow, she was taking him and using his essence to her own will. It was the bond, Sesshoumaru knew, but he was still surprised. In place of what the miko was taking from him, though it was a small amount compared to what he was, her soul returned something of herself to fill the void left behind. Whatever it was that she gave of herself, it left him almost gasping for breath. Warmth. That was the only way he could describe it. Was this how the miko had felt each time he'd taken from her? Had some of himself seeped into her to replace what was lost for a time?

In all his years of study on this subject, Sesshoumaru realized he'd never truly understood what it was he was seeking, but there was a time and place for such thoughts and this was neither. As tempting as this warmth was, Sesshoumaru knew he needed to find his miko. She had no proper training for her own miko abilities. How was she to know how to handle that of youki? He was not prepared to let the miko go so easily. Sesshoumaru told himself it was because she had attacked him, with his own strength. She had run from him, disobeyed him, and attempted to contain him and keep him from doing as he pleased. But he knew there was more to it than that.

The miko needed to be punished...even more so.

But first, Sesshoumaru thought with a feral smile in his mind, he would find the fools who dared to challenge his miko and, in turn, him.

The miko's trail was easy to follow. She'd made no attempt to hide her tracks as she'd believed him trapped behind her. His superior senses could make out even the lightest of touches she'd made upon the earth and trees. He could still feel the warmth of her skin where she'd leaned against a tree to catch her breath from her quick sprint.

Morning sunlight was flooding the open clearing before the mouth of a cave the miko had entered. There were barriers erected here, he could see. They were weak, pathetic attempts. Naraku had done better in the past, he admitted to himself even though that thought almost pained him. There were also more than a dozen men trying to hide from him. They stood downwind, hoping he wouldn't know they were there. _Fools_, he thought, recalling their scent and remembering the time he'd last faced these particular men. They had tried to keep Rin from him. Then he'd shown a measure of mercy to them due to the child's presence--which still surprised him as he recalled it. He'd not shed a single drop of blood because he had not wanted Rin to witness such after what she had already been through. Now, though, Rin was not here.

Sesshoumaru unsheathed Toukijin, stepped out into the open, and walked with ease through the wards set up to the mouth of the cave. Burying Toukijin into the ground at his feet, he erected his own barrier around the mouth of the cave. It would keep any inside from leaving before he was ready for them to and give him time to play with the men in hiding.

Raising his clawed hand, he cracked his knuckles. These men did not deserve to die by the sword. No easy death would be theirs on this day. His claws extended even further and his fangs elongated as the thrill of the blood to be split raced through his veins. Sniffing the air lightly, Sesshoumaru knew exactly where the men were hidden and how many they numbered. He could hear their hearts beating furiously and the sound of their panting breaths. They were not heavily armed; depending upon the wards, their spiritual powers, and their assumptions on his behavior.

Behind the humans were two youkai that Sesshoumaru recognized as being the small kitsune and the fire neko that traveled with his half-brother. The two youkai were not conscious, but were alive-- for now. The monk and youkai slayer were not there. More than likely they were inside the cave with his half-brother and the miko.

Sesshoumaru turned only his head into the direction the men stood. He smelt their rising fear as his eyes locked onto their position and their spike in fear as he glanced in their direction only increased his desire to slice into them. With a slight upturn of his lips and an increase in his heart rate at the thrill awaiting him, Sesshoumaru used his youkai speed to bring himself directly into their midst.

The priests stumbled about in surprise, still shocked that he was there instead of pressing onward into the cave, but they were given little time to react after that as Sesshoumaru showed them exactly who they were dealing with and why humans were so pitiful in his eyes.

***

Sweat beaded Ungai's forehead as she forced her aura onto his, trying to cover and smother it. She wasn't just fighting against Ungai's spiritual pressure, though. She was fighting against one man using the tormented souls of hundreds of mikos. It was tiring and she could feel the ache of everything she did with her abilities being pressed back onto her body. Even with the sudden influx of having all of herself within her once more, she was still untrained. Her mind and body were not ready for something like this, but this was affecting him far more than it was her. "Let go, Ungai," she ordered, hoping that he would concede but knowing already that he would not.

He laughed at her words. His grip tightened on the staff in his hands and the ruby jewel pulsed erringly as it fed him more of its strength. "Tiring so soon, miko?" he taunted.

Ungai took a step forward and Kagome took a step back. She rounded on him, putting herself in between he and Inuyasha. Her eyes had kept straying to her friend and it was distracting. Behind her, Inuyasha was back to growling and screaming for release. Her miko senses were tingling across her body at his close proximity and the danger he represented. "Not at all," she shot back.

He made a lunge for her, his free hand outstretched with fingers curved as if they were tipped with claws. This was something she was use to dealing with and Kagome easily sidestepped out of his reach. Then her eyes caught sight of something shining on the ground. It looked like the tip of a dagger. Making a quick dive for the object, her fingers grasped the broken point. The blade was sharp and sliced into her fingers, but Kagome kept hold of it as she rose back up onto her feet once more.

For some reason she felt infinitely safer having the blade in hand. It wasn't her bow, but it was better than nothing. "That won't help you, girl," the priest chided.

He made a swipe at her with the staff. She blocked it with another barrier once more, sparks flying. Ungai glared at her. "Is that all you can do, miko? Barriers? Pathetic."

***

Sesshoumaru flicked the blood off his claws, his eyes cold as he looked over the remains surrounding him. The priests fear and screams for mercy had delighted him beyond pure joy and he found himself panting for more. Then his eyes fell upon the still unconscious fire neko and kitsune. For a moment, he moved towards them but then stopped. The miko would not be pleased if he were to harm them..

Snarling at himself for going soft, still filled with the lust for blood and wanting more of it, Sesshoumaru walked back towards the mouth of the cave and retrieved his sword, sheathing it. The barrier he'd erected collapsed in on itself and holy energy poured out of the depths of the cave. The smell of his miko filled him. He could feel her strength, mingled with his, and it was intoxicating. The only mar was the second energy that resided within. There were other priests within the cave. Their essence was tainted, though. Not pure and sweet as his miko's was.

Moving forward with slow and practiced steps, he could hear multiple priests chanting and he could hear Inuyasha growling. The half-breed had been trapped within some sort of spiritual containment and the chanting was holding him there. A quick sniff of the air told Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha was in his transformed state. Sesshoumaru recalled the time before when he had come across his half-brother in such a way. The miko had rescued the half-breed then, too. Was this why she had left him? Had she sensed what was occurring with his half-brother? As much as he did not like to acknowledge it, the miko cared deeply for her friends and she had an especially deep attachment to the half-breed. She'd proven this time and time again by sacrificing her own needs and throwing herself into danger to try and spare them.

_Unusual for a human_, Sesshoumaru thought. _Unusual actions for even a youkai._

As he moved down the final step and rounded the corner, his practiced eyes took in the scene before him. The man standing before him, with his back to him, Sesshoumaru knew. This was the leader of these men. He recognized the man's scent, never forgetting one. Sesshoumaru hadn't ever bothered to learn his name as it had been of little importance then, but the name was there now all the same. Ungai.

The miko was facing off against the priest, her body visibly glowing. Sesshoumaru could see his own essence at work within the miko's aura. With his close proximity, her glow seemed to brighten to an almost blinding level. She was gripping what looked like a broken dagger in her hand. The blade had sliced into her delicate skin and the smell of her blood was intoxicating him all over again. Then her eyes widened as she noticed his presence, taking her attention away from her prey.

The priest she was facing used that one fault to hit her, sending her down onto her knees. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly as his anger rose and his blood lust was only fueled higher. No one touched what was his. Then the priest whirled around to face him.

***

Ungai was trying to goad her into action. He wanted her to strike out and leave herself open. Kagome would not fall for that trap. Outside the cave she could feel Sesshoumaru. He had arrived, as she knew he would, and was entering the cave. Ungai must have sensed him, as well. A new gleam came to his crazed eyes. "Ah. It seems all the players have finally arrived. Now I can end this little farce."

Sesshoumaru rounded the corner, his eyes shining. His singular hand hung at his side, claws dripping with blood. That was the only sign that he had previously engaged in battle. There wasn't a bit of blood on his clothing. Even his armor had been regenerated by his youki. Kagome's eyes widened slightly at the sight of him and Ungai used her distraction to ram the head of his staff into her abdomen. The breath was knocked from her lungs as the tainted spiritual energy of the staff slammed into her body like a knife. Kagome grunted and fell down to her knees just as Ungai turned to face Sesshoumaru. "Youkai," he spat. "Your time has finally arrived."

Sesshoumaru merely stood there, a single eyebrow rising. His eyes remained as cold as ever. At his side, his claws flicked off a bit of blood. Then he raised his hand and rested it lightly on the hilt of Toukijin. Briefly, his eyes touched upon his surroundings and then turned back to the priest before him. The man was clearly without his sanity.

Ungai, beyond reason, slammed his staff down into the ground and called upon it to vanquish the youkai before him. As the ruby began to pulse with the spiritual energy of the entrapped mikos, Sesshoumaru's own youki rose to the challenge before him. Then Kagome was back on her feet once more, the broken blade still in hand. Charging the blade up with her own energy until it glowed almost painfully bright, she rushed forward towards Ungai. She slammed her body into his, clinging to him with her arms and legs. The priest stumbled forward from the unexpected attack from behind and set himself off balance. That gave her just the time she needed to stab the broken blade of the dagger into the ruby head of the staff.

The blade, charged with her own energies, sliced into the ruby as if it wasn't a stone and struck deep into its heart. There was a brief, forced silence; almost as if all the air had been sucked up from around them, taking all the sound with it. Then the ruby shattered into a blinding light. Kagome was forced backwards by the blow, her body landing with a harsh thud and skidding across the ground. Her vision blurred, but she was grateful that it had. She missed the massacre of Ungai and the remaining priests in the room.

***

His movements were quick and deadly. Before the force of the blast could move his prey away from him, Sesshoumaru swiped his claws across the priest's throat, tearing away flesh in his hands. Never one to stop until he was sure that what he wanted was obtained--and the human's demise was on the top of that list-- his claws then swiped downward across the man's chest, digging through flesh, bone, and muscle as if they weren't even there. The priest's body split open like a ripe fruit and all that he was made of came pouring out onto the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet.

Before the priest's body could collapse, he ripped Ungai's heart from his chest cavity, holding the still beating organ in his claws. Then the organ became nothing in his hands as his deadly toxins removed it from existence.

The other priests in the room, knocked back by the blast of the tainted jewel just as the miko had been, warily climbed to their feet, confused and unsure of what exactly had just occurred. It took them only a second to realize their master was dead and then they all began screaming and trying to escape even though there was no place to go. Not a single one of them even tried to defend themselves.

It was pitiful and seemed to suck the joy out of the situation…at least where his blood lust was concerned. Still, Sesshoumaru could not let them go without punishment for their transgressions.

Sesshoumaru raised his clawed hand one last time. His light whip easily shot out and decapitated the mindlessly running priests in an instant. Their bodies fell to the ground, followed momentarily by their heads.

***

When next she opened her eyes, Sesshoumaru was standing placidly where he had been since entering. The only way she knew he had moved at all was the fainting rippling of the sleeve of his kimono as it settled back into place. At his feet lay the dismembered body of Ungai, his face stretched in an effort to let out a scream that torn vocal cords would never release. His chest was flayed open and his entrails littered the ground around him. The priests that had been chanting around the altar were in similar states of being and the air was heavy with the scent of their death, the smell of acid sizzling against flesh. Kagome covered her mouth to keep from throwing up as the odors assaulted her.

Forcing herself to stand, she ignored the growing puddles of blood around her and turned her head to look towards the altar. The fiery cone that had surrounded Inuyasha was gone, but he was still chained in place. His red eyes were focused entirely upon her and his fangs were bared. Sesshoumaru moved to stand between her and his half-brother, his hand lightly resting upon the hilt of his sword as he faced her. "And now our alliance has reached its end. You will come with me, miko."

Her wide eyes stared up into his face. It was set in stone, the crazed look from before absent and yet still dancing in the background of his eyes. His voice had been hard, not inviting argument. Kagome was never one to follow the dictates of others, though. "It's not over yet."

"The half-breed cannot be saved," Sesshoumaru said as he withdrew his sword once more and turned away from her.

The sound of it being withdrawn spurred Kagome into action. She latched onto Sesshoumaru's arm with surprising strength. Even though she knew she could not possibly stop him physically, his strength far outweighed her own, she had to try. She just couldn't stand there and let him kill Inuyasha. "I know him," she pleaded. "I can save him."

"His youkai blood controls him, miko. I cannot allow him to be set free from this place."

She moved, putting herself in between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. "If we find the Tessaiga, he can be saved."

"No."

Pushing her aside as if she were nothing, Sesshoumaru advanced upon the altar and ordered her to leave. Kagome slipped on a puddle of blood but managed to crawl her way back between the daiyoukai and her hanyou friend, splaying her arms out protectively before Sesshoumaru could advance forward any further. Behind her, Inuyasha seemed to have almost ceased in his struggles at her nearness. Sesshoumaru took notice of this, if the look on his face could be considered an indication of such.

Kagome turned and faced her hanyou friend. Her eyes reflected the pain she felt as she looked at him. Reaching out with her hand, she laid it across Inuyasha's chest. His head snapped forward, trying to bite into her hand. Kagome felt her tears come. "Inuyasha," she said, making her voice sound stronger than she was feeling. "Inuyasha, come back to me."

Before Sesshoumaru knew what she was about, she laid her head down, wrapping her arms around the half-breed's body. Tears slowly ran down her cheeks as she gripped the crazed creature that had once been his annoying half-brother. "Inuyasha...," she called soothingly. "Inuyasha, come back to me."

His half-brother's struggles to reach the miko stopped as soon as she laid herself across his form. He was sniffing the air, finding her scent as calming as Sesshoumaru did it seemed. Sesshoumaru watched impassively, but inside his anger was seething as he watched his mate give comfort to another male. "Miko, move away," he ordered.

She glanced at him and shook her head no. Then her hands traveled up the half-breed's body to where the shackles encased his wrists. Her finger closed around them and she looked steadily into Inuyasha's red eyes. "You are no beast that needs to be chained, Inuyasha," she said, keeping her voice steady, strong, and calm. "You are no wild creature that needs such containment. You are beautiful and strong and my friend."

Sesshoumaru made to move forward to stop her, but the miko sensed his movements. Before he could touch her, she had released a concentrated burst of her energies into the chains that held the half-breed down. The chains glowed bright for a moment and then all of them shattered into dust a second later. Sesshoumaru reached the miko and jerked her back against himself, moving them away from the altar and raising his sword at the same time. "That was foolish, miko," he growled, never removing his eyes from the half-breed.

Inuyasha pounced to his feet, crouching low on top of the altar in a battle ready position. His fangs were bared towards them and his lengthened claws were curled into striking positions. He growled low in his throat as his eyes settled upon the miko and the male holding onto her. His sensitive nose registered the smells of blood all around him and of the singular person whom he desired above all things. And that person was currently being held onto tightly by another...

Sesshoumaru growled back at the half-breed's obvious challenge, pushing the miko behind him just as Inuyasha jumped towards him. The space they were in was large, but not large enough for battle. There was little room for maneuverability, a much needed thing when battling such a creature as the transformed hanyou. With the miko pressed behind him, determined to reach the half-breed no matter what, Sesshoumaru knew he needed to end this quickly.

He held his sword up, deflecting the half-breed's first attack with only his youki and sending Inuyasha skidding backwards. The hanyou landed lightly on his feet, snarling, and charged once more with zigzagging motions. Sesshoumaru raised his sword for the final strike when suddenly the miko darted out from behind him, on his left hand side, and moved into the half-breed's path. The half-breed, crazed as he was, did not stop his forward assault and Sesshoumaru could not stop him as he'd intended to without hurting the woman in front of him. Inuyasha's body slammed into the miko, carrying her backwards into his chest plate, and his claws dug into her tender arms as he tried to remove her from his pathway.

Sesshoumaru dropped his sword, his hand turning into a fist, and he slammed it into the half-breed's face, forcing Inuyasha to fly backwards once more. The miko let out a gasp as the half-breed's claws were jerked from her body, but she did not remain where she was standing. No, the stubborn woman actually rose and ran towards the half-breed, her aura shining around her. "Inuyasha," she said in a voice that booked no argument. "Stop this right now."

The half-breed had regained his footing, his eyes going between the miko and the male. Then the miko's aura flared even higher, capturing his attentions. Sesshoumaru found himself unable to move, able to do nothing but watch as Inuyasha's body visibly lost its wild edge even though he was still in his youkai state and allowed the miko to approach him. Something was holding him back. Then the miko was standing before his half-brother, placing her hands on Inuyasha's heaving chest. The words she whispered to Inuyasha were so low that not even he, with his acute hearing, could understand what she was saying. Slowly, the half-breed calmed even more. The miko leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the hanyou's body, laying her head against his chest, eyes closed and her ear to his beating heart. "Inuyasha," she breathed. "Come back to me."

As the miko's aura radiated nothing but comfort and love, the wildness of Inuyasha's blood slowly receded and the red leaked from his eyes. The markings on his face slowly faded and then were gone. Kagome opened her closed eyes and looked up into the face she'd known for so long. "Kagome?" he whispered, wonder in his voice.

"Hey, you. Welcome back," she said with a smile, tears in her eyes. "I missed you."

Before Inuyasha could respond, Sesshoumaru was there. He pulled his miko from the half-breed's arms and slammed his fist once more into Inuyasha's face, sending him flying backwards again. This time, when the half-breed's body struck the wall, Inuyasha crumpled into unconsciousness.

Kagome rounded on him, her eyes flashing dangerously with her fury. "You didn't have to do that."

"No, I did not," Sesshoumaru found himself agreeing. "But it felt good."

She opened her mouth to say something else, but then snapped it close once more. Pulling herself out of his grip, she made to go to the half-breed's side again, but Sesshoumaru stopped her. "Our agreement, miko," he reminded her.

"Can I at least make sure everyone's okay?" she pleaded.

Sesshoumaru raised his head, his eyes slightly unfocused. Then he lowered his eyes to look into hers once more. "The kitsune and the neko are waking and coming this way. The monk and the youkai slayer are still unconscious but will live. The half-breed will live, as well. Now come, miko."

Not waiting for her to follow, Sesshoumaru turned and made for the exit. After a minute, he heard the miko follow reluctantly behind him. Smiling to himself, he led the way out of the cave. When they breached the entrance, the kitsune and neko were there. The kitsune's eyes widened as they stepped into the open. "Kagome!" he screamed, wanting to launch himself into her arms.

Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru and saw him stiffen slightly. Placing her hand upon his arm, she gave it a slightly squeeze, trying to convey her thoughts and feelings through touch. Then she turned to Shippou and held out her arms. Without another thought, the kitsune pounced on to her, gripping her clothing tightly with his hands. "Kagome, I was so worried about you."

"I'm fine, Shippou," Kagome said softly, rubbing her chin against the little youkai's head. "But I need you to do something for me now."

"Whatever you want, Kagome."

Kagome smiled softly down at the little kitsune. He'd grown so much since first they'd met. "Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha are still below. They need your help, Shippou. Yours and Kirara's," she said, glancing towards the neko. The fire cat mewled in understanding but made no move to approach. Her eyes were locked onto the daiyoukai that stood unmoving behind her. Kagome looked back down at Shippou. "Tell them I love them and miss them, but will be fine. And tell them I'll see them again."

"Where are you going, Kagome?"

Before Kagome could answer, Shippou heard a growl from behind her. It was one that human ears could not hear, meant only for youkai, and Shippou understood clearly what it said. The daiyoukai had allowed him to touch the miko for her benefit, but that time was ending. With one last look and hug to Kagome, Shippou jumped down from her arms even though she tried to hold onto him. He returned to Kirara's shoulder and looked up at her, trying to put on a brave face. He nodded his head, his eyes solemn. "I will take care of them, Kagome."

"Thanks, Shippou, Kirara" she said before turning back to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru looked the two youkai over silently, passing a warning message between them. Then he turned and walked away without a word.

His miko followed.

***


	16. Chapter 16

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Sixteen ~

CONTROLLING himself and his instincts for as long as he was able, Sesshoumaru breathed deeply in the miko's scent as she trailed softly behind him. Her normal verbal sparring seemed absent as she seemed to be lost in thought; so lost she did not realize he had stopped and turned to face her. Sesshoumaru reached out his hand, laying it heavily onto her shoulder, and stopped her forward motion. The miko blinked and looked up at him, her eyes filled with questions. Unable to stop himself, he ran his hand down to her lower back, pushing her up against him. Leaning down, he brushed his lips once, twice against her own, groaning to himself. The miko folded into his touch.

Where was the anger that he had been feeling? Where was the desire to punish the miko for her transgressions against him? All thoughts in that general direction seemed to have vanished as her aura washed over him, soothing him. Now all he wanted was to bask in the presence of her company and feel her eyes upon him. He wanted to touch her and bring her pleasure. He wanted more of what she had to offer him.

He heard her heartbeat increase and her breathing hitch at his contact with her. Taking advantage of her momentary surprise, he wrapped himself more fully around her, lifting her off her feet as he did so, and buried his face into her neck. Her scent was an aphrodisiac to him despite the layering odors of the half-breed and kitsune that clung to her. "Miko," he growled softly next to her delicate throat. "You are mine now."

The miko was a riot of emotions. Her small hands, placed against him, were shaking slightly and he could feel how tired she was. It had been a trying day already and the time was not even half past for nightfall. As much as he did not wish to waste time, he would allow her a moment of respite.

Within the blink of an eye, he'd carried them to a hot spring. With his sudden movement, the miko had closed her eyes and pressed herself more fully against him. He relished the feel of her body but reluctantly lowered her back down to the ground and stepped away when they arrived at the spring. Spreading his youki to warn away others from straying too near, he looked down at the miko before him. "Bathe, miko," he ordered. "And I will see to your injuries."

Kagome looked up at him with surprise in her eyes, but the daiyoukai showed her nothing in his gaze. The wildness that had been there before was completely hidden from her once more and the stoic youkai she had come to know was in full control once again. He stepped away from her, her body automatically missing the warmth he'd provided. Then he seated himself gracefully upon the ground, obtaining a lotus position. His eyes were closed, but she knew he was aware of everything around him still. She could feel his youki stretching and encompassing the surrounding area—a warning to those who would dare to think of treading near them.

Kagome looked over the hot springs and suddenly became aware of how sore and tense she was. She'd been running across the countryside for almost the better part of two days and had little to nothing to eat and absolutely no rest. Not to mention the fact that she'd received the missing half of her soul, battled a crazed priest, and brought an enraged inu-hanyou back to himself.

A quick glance in Sesshoumaru's direction revealed the daiyoukai to still be where he was the last time she'd looked and that his eyes were still closed. Keeping an eye on the daiyoukai, surely a habit learned from her years of being in Miroku's company, she slipped out of the ruined kimono she wore and stepped into the inviting waters of the hot springs. Wading in until her chest was covered, Kagome released a sigh of contentment as the heated waters immediately began to work their magic on her tired body.

Regretting the fact that she didn't have her normal bathing supplies with her, Kagome ran her hands over her body as best as she could, careful of the scrapes and punctures she'd earned from her time with Ungai and Inuyasha. Then she dunked herself under the water, scrubbing at her scalp and wishing for her shampoo and conditioner. She surfaced, her back towards the daiyoukai, and released another satisfied sigh. Now if only clean clothing, a comfy bed, and a plate full of her favorite food would magically appear, Kagome would be in a minor state of heaven.

Lost in her own mental wanderings and wishes, she realized too late that the water was rippling with movement that wasn't her own. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that the daiyoukai was no longer seated in the lotus position and was now somewhere in the water behind her. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Sesshoumaru?" she called out, wanting to know where he was without having to turn and look for him.

Then she felt him standing directly behind her. The water lapping at her skin was the only detection she had that he hadn't been there the entire time. His youki danced lightly across her skin, sending tingles up and down her spine. How a being could move so silently, even in water, still amazed her. Feeling his still dry hair brush against her unclothed back as he leaned forward, she almost shivered as his warm breath fanned across her ear when he spoke. "Your wounds, miko."

Her arms tightened across her chest, saving as much of her modesty as they could. She tried to sink down into the water, but a light touch of his hand stopped her. "Can't they wait until I am done washing myself?"

"It is this mate's pleasure to groom and care for his intended," he replied silkily. He wanted the miko at ease with his presence and knew demanding her obedience to his desire would have the opposite effect that he was looking for.

She felt him lower himself further down into the water. His long hair floated on the surface of it, snaking around her body almost as if it had a mind of its own and reminding her of his mokomoko-sama. Then he shifted silently, his mouth reappearing beside one of her arms near the punctures from Inuyasha's claws. Kagome watched with undisguised fascination as his tongue swiped over first one of the bloody holes and then the next. His eyes were closed and a look of pleasure crossed his face as he cleansed her wounds. Did her blood truly taste that good?

Kagome stayed perfectly still as he tended to her, her mind remaining fixated upon his movements and the near heat of his body. She realized his intense body heat seemed so much stronger than before. As he moved from one arm to the other, she chanced a quick glance over her shoulder and her eyes met with an exposed expanse of naked flesh finely sculptured with muscle. Sesshoumaru wasn't wearing anything. Managing to jerk herself out of her growing stupor his attentions always brought to her, Kagome moved forward, ignoring his low growl of warning not to leave his side. She swam hurriedly to the far side of the spring, keeping herself low in the water, and almost groaned at the blush rising on her face. "You're naked!" she stuttered out when he looked at her, the obvious question in his eyes.

"As it is usual to bathe without clothing," he returned dryly. "Come, miko, and allow this one to finish."

"I'm perfectly fine now, Sesshoumaru," Kagome replied, hating the blush creeping steadily across her face. One would think, after all that she had been through in life already, that a situation like this wouldn't affect her so badly. "Perfectly fine. Thank you very much! My boo-boos feel much better."

For some reason, she'd reverted to childish speech when faced with the naked daiyoukai and Kagome felt like her face was on fire now.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow at her choice of words. "Modesty becomes you, miko, but there is no need for it where I am concerned. Very soon now this one will know every inch of you."

If anything, Kagome felt her blush deepening. The daiyoukai was very forward. Even more so than Kouga, it seemed. Wanting to clasp her hands over her virginal ears to save them, she dared not because that would leave her chest unguarded. "That's a little too fast there, Sesshoumaru," she managed to squeak.

Before she could even blink, he was before her once more. The water lapped playfully between them. He stayed standing directly before her, his eyes locked on her face, until the water settled once more. Then his clawed hand reached out and grasped her around her wrist. Kagome tried to hold her hand away from him, but he lifted it away easily and turned her hand palm up. She looked down at her hand and saw the deep cuts from the broken dagger she'd used when fighting Ungai. Sesshoumaru leaned forward, sniffing at her hand. Then his tongue repeated the same process as before; sweeping over the cuts and sealing them. When he was done, his mouth lingered longer than necessary against her skin, his lips a light caress against her flesh. Then his eyes opened and looked into hers. "Do you forget what you promised, miko?"

"No, of course not," she answered as he leaned forward and began licking the wounds on her other arm. A similar look of pleasure crossed his features. "It's not the same thing," she grounded out. "I don't..._do_ things like this all the time."

His lips lifted slightly at the corners. It wasn't exactly a smile, but it was something. "This one would hope not, miko." Then he raised his head and his cheek began rubbing softly against her own. Kagome wrapped her arm back around herself, continuing to shielding her body from him as best as she could. She struggled to keep her eyes on the daiyoukai's face and not look at his bared chest. "But I shall grant you a moment of respite, this time. There are, however, other matters that need to be settled between us."

***

Sango came to with a blinding headache and a groan. Her eyes opened, vision slightly blurred, and settled on the familiar face of a fully transformed Kirara standing beside her. There was a weight on her chest and she glanced down at it to see the very worried face of Shippou. He was gnawing away at the heavy ropes that bound her. "Shippou..." she said and then her eyes settled on the sight beyond her two youkai friends.

Blood bathed the walls and floors along with body pieces. Slumped against the far wall, hidden almost from her view by the altar, was Inuyasha's form. Beside her, still unconscious, was Miroku. "What happened?"

Shippou moved aside to reach the smaller ropes binding her wrists behind her back while Kirara came forward and used her fangs to slice through the thicker ropes around her torso and legs. "Sesshoumaru," Shippou whispered, sounding as if saying the daiyoukai's name too loud would bring him back into their midst.

Sango's eyes widened. "You saw him? Was Kagome with him?"

Shippou nodded his head yes, his sharp fangs busy tearing through the last of the rope. He finished his work and moved over to get started on cutting the ropes binding Miroku. Sango brought her hands back to her front and attempted to rub the soreness away. As soon as feeling had returned to her hands and feet, she shifted her position to be closer to Miroku. Her eyes glanced around for the broken dagger blade, but she didn't see it. All she could do to aid the youkais was in moving the monk into a better position. While they worked, her mind went over and over the questions pooling there. What had actually happened in this shrine?

As soon as Miroku was freed, Sango checked him over for other wounds. Only his head was hurt, a small trickle of blood marking where he'd been hit. "Kirara, stay with Miroku. I'll check on Inuyasha."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Shippou.

Looking at the little kitsune, Sango nodded her head. "Find the Tessaiga, Shippou. Inuyasha will need it when he wakes."

The kitsune gave a very adult nod of his head and bounded off out of the cave. Standing, her legs still a little shaky, Sango covered her mouth and nose with her hands to keep from retching. She had seen plenty of death and battle during her lifetime, but she'd never been knocked unconscious and woken up to an obvious massacre before. As much as she wanted to pity the men their fates, she knew they'd asked for what they'd gotten. Sango was just surprised that she and her friends hadn't been added to the body count. Was that Kagome's doing?

She moved over to Inuyasha who looked better than she thought he would considering his appearance the last time she'd been conscious. His fire rat robes were bloodied, but the wounds on his arms were already close to being fully healed. His jaw was slightly puffy, telling her something--or more likely _someone_--had hit him there. That was the blow that had probably knocked him backwards and into unconsciousness. Why Sesshoumaru hadn't killed him, she couldn't say, but Sango would bet almost anything that it was because of Kagome.

Smoothing the hanyou's hair away from his face and arranging him into a more comfortable looking position, she began devising ways of getting the two men out of the desecrated and blood covered shrine while simultaneously wondering where Kagome was.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a groan from Miroku. Getting up, she traveled the length between them carefully, stepping over bodies and their dislocated heads and puddles of blood and gore. Kneeling down next to him, Sango placed her hand on his face. "Miroku?"

He groaned once more, eyes wincing as they opened. Then his hand came up and covered her own on his head. "My dear Sango, I believe I did nothing to warrant this particular strike. Therefore I feel it only necessary to even the odds."

"Monk," Sango growled. "Touch me now and you'll not wake again. Now let me help you up so Kirara can carry you out of here."

It took him a moment to find his equilibrium and be able to sit up without falling back over. When he did, his wide eyes took in the destruction around them and he released a low curse. His eyes asked questions, but thankfully, to Sango's way of thinking, his lips stayed shut. Half climbing, half falling onto Kirara's back, he closed his eyes and buried his nose into the fire neko's fur until they were almost out of the cave. "Heavens above," he whispered as he slid down to the ground underneath the tree Kirara had stopped at. The bright sunlight of day brought to his attentions that the hem of his robes was soaked with blood.

After making sure Miroku would be alright, Kirara disappeared once more down below where her mistress still was. Miroku shook his head at the faith of the fire neko. If the smells were that bad for him, he could only imagine what the neko smelt. Then his thoughts were directed away from the neko as he spied Shippou pouncing towards him. The kitsune stopped when he saw him, relief evident in his eyes. Miroku noticed he was clutching the Tessaiga to his small form. The sword looked monstrous, even in its reverted state, in the kitsune's hands. "Miroku?" Shippou called. "Are you okay?"

"I will be fine, Shippou," he assured the kitsune. "Go and help Sango and Kirara."

Shippou gave him one more worried glance and then disappeared back down below with the sword.

***

Kagome decided to play dumb. Oh she actually knew what Sesshoumaru was speaking about, but she wasn't about to broach that subject with him. He seemed so much calmer now. Of course, Sesshoumaru being calm meant nothing in the way of what he was feeling. He was a master of control. And even though he'd seemed to have lost that tight grip for a time, it was back in full force now. "And what other matters have we to settle between us?"

He leaned even closer to her, nearly pressing his body up against hers. The heat radiating off his form rivaled that of the hot springs. Despite the heat of both the waters and the daiyoukai, Kagome found herself covered in goose bumps once more. "I am possessive, miko," he intoned softly against her flushed face. His tongue flicked out to catch a straying droplet of water from her wet hair. "What is mine, I keep. And you are mine."

His voice was low, sensual. It was before all over again except with a decidedly lack of clothing between them. Kagome fought against the need, the desire, to fling herself into his embrace, to feel his warmth pressed against her skin. What girl wouldn't like to hear such a claim from a stunningly beautiful male? "I'm not property," she whispered back, repeating something she'd said before, hoping to keep the fire of denial flaring inside of her.

"No, you are not. You are something far more important to me than mere property. You are my completion."

His hand moved from caging her in to settling lightly against her back. There was a slight pull as he urged her forward. She took a step into his embrace and his arm curved further around her. He tucked her head up underneath his chin, resting himself lightly against her. His claws were gently tracing circles across the smooth expanse of her bare back, but he made no advancements upon her. It seemed that he was comfortable with their current state. Kagome tried her hardest to relax against him without really touching him. "Miko," he said softly, his voice sounding almost lost in thought. "Why do you resist me? Why do you loathe contact with me?"

At his quietly whispered question, Kagome jerked slightly. He had sounded almost pained; as he had when she had attacked him and he'd ordered her not to leave him. Keeping one hand across her breasts, she used the other to push lightly against his bare chest. He understood her silent demand and loosened his hold just enough so that she could pull back and look up into his face. It was as impassive as ever, but there seemed to be an almost pleading look in his eyes. She'd seen that look before and it struck her the same now as it did then. She wanted to comfort him and soothe him. "I don't loathe contact with you," she answered, her tones just as soft. It wasn't a lie. She didn't truly understand anything she felt where the daiyoukai was concerned. "I don't even really know you, Sesshoumaru. Surely you understand what I'm saying?"

She was speaking the truth, as far as she knew it. Her aura was dancing brightly around her, pushing lightly against his own and weaving itself through his. He watched the dance for a time before continuing his conversation with the miko in his hold. "We have a bond, miko. An undeniable need to be with one another. There can be no completion, no true happiness or peace to be found outside one another. This I have come to understand."

How had his views changed so much in so short a time? Not wanting to believe it, wanting to think it only another manipulation of his, Kagome voiced her reply. "And I thought you wanted me only for the power you'll gain."

He sensed her anger. Why was she angry _now_? Why was she reacting this way _now_ when she should have been angry _then_? Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, regret at his harshly said words pooling within him and then being pushed away as useless to feel. With the miko always around him and within him, he was finding it harder and harder to keep control over himself. If she left him again, he had no doubt that his rage would overtake him once more and he had not enjoyed being a slave to its will. But he _would not _inform the miko of this. Trusting in another was not in his nature and already he had revealed more to her than any other in his life. The woman seemed to thrive on stripping a soul bare; though it seemed to be done without malice. She kept demanding more and more from him. "This will be beneficial to us both, in the end, miko."

"I fail to see how denying me contact with my friends and family is beneficial to me. And I cannot just leave my duties here undone."

Sesshoumaru did not want to speak on those matters just then. He knew very well of what duties the miko spoke of. She had mentioned this before. The Shikon no Tama and the hanyou, Naraku, were what the miko was talking about. While he understood his own desire that the miko leave what was before behind and come entirely to him, he also understood that her undying loyalty to those she loved and her desires to see her goals into completion was also just as much a part of her as everything else. But just because he understood that did not mean he was ready to accept it. And, at this current moment in time, his mind would not allow him to find an acceptable route that would appease both himself and the woman in his arms.

He raised his gaze from hers and pushed her head back up against his body. The miko was tired. He could sense this. She was also famished. Even though she clung to her maidenly virtue and kept her body as separated from his as she possibly could in this embrace, he could tell that she wanted to just lean into him and borrow some of his strength.

Ignoring her outraged squeak, he leaned over and scooped her up with his one arm. She weighed nothing in his hold and he walked easily out of the hot springs and onto dry ground. Setting her down beside his clothing, he moved efficiently in fetching his haori and draping it over her shoulders. Her hands quickly abandoned covering herself in order to clutch his outer kimono over her naked body. Then, her face cherry red, she spun away from the sight of his nakedness. Sesshoumaru allowed himself a smirk as he donned the rest of his apparel. When he was dressed once more, he sent his mokomoko-sama to snake up the miko's leg and wrap around her torso. The mokomoko-sama drew the miko backwards into his now covered chest and he wrapped his arm around her once more. "You are tired, miko. Now you shall rest. We will finish our conversation at a later point in time."

"Where are we going?"

Sesshoumaru raised his head, thinking this over. It wasn't prudent to leave the miko within the cavern hold any longer. There were duties he, himself, needed to take care of he could not be far from the miko's side. Also he had been gone too long from Rin and Jaken. "We shall return to the cavern for now, miko," he found himself answering uncharacteristically. "And then this one has duties to see to that you will be joining me on. I cannot leave you alone."

"I promised I wouldn't run away again," Kagome reminded him.

He did not reply, preferring the miko to think he thought such of her rather than the truth.

***

With Kirara's and Shippou's help, Sango managed to get Inuyasha above ground. She couldn't help but recall a similar time she'd done this in the not too distant past. _At least this time Inuyasha is merely knocked unconscious_, she thought as she rolled him off Kirara's back beside Miroku.

She sat down heavily beside Miroku, her energy for the time spent, and stared off into nothing. The sunlight opposed the oppressive, gruesome scene that she had witnessed and seemed to dance almost happily across the ground as clouds passed overhead. "Shippou," she said finally, breaking the silence that had settled upon them.

Shippou was just setting the Tessaiga across Inuyasha's body. "Yes, Sango?"

"You said you saw Kagome, right?"

"Yeah. She came out of the cave with Sesshoumaru."

"And the Lady Kagome was well?" Miroku questioned next.

Shippou nodded his head. He could tell that Kagome had been hurt--he'd smelled her blood--but she hadn't appeared to be in pain and her aura had not been broadcasting such, either. He also knew Inuyasha had been the one to hurt her. Her blood was still on the tips of his claws. He wouldn't mention that, though. Some things were better left unsaid until a later time. "She wanted me to tell you that she loves us and misses us," he said, tears beginning to swell up in his eyes "That she's fine and that she'd see us again soon."

"And that was all she said?"

Shippou looked over to Sango. "Sesshoumaru took her away then."

"Were they walking?" Miroku asked. "Perhaps there is a chance we may follow."

"I think not, Miroku," Sango observed. "Look at us. There is no way we could follow them now. And if we did manage to find them, what would we do without Inuyasha? No, we will have to wait. Besides, there is burying to be done."

Miroku grimaced as he thought about what lay within the cave shrine. Then Shippou added the fact that there were more bodies over where their weapons were. Groaning, Miroku forced himself to his feet. "I shall fetch the rest of our weapons and then see to the burying," he said to Sango. "While you and Shippou see to Inuyasha."

Sango nodded her head in agreement. As Miroku walked on still unsteady legs towards the clearing Shippou had told them about, she turned to the little kitsune. "Can you find us some water, Shippou?"

So proud to be of such obvious use, the little kitsune puffed out his chest. "I'll be right back!"

***

Kagome half dozed in his arms as they flew through the air. Her eyes registered the cave she had so recently abandoned it seemed and then her mind remembered the sacrifice of Kikyou. Since the fires there had long gone out and the cave was once more in darkness, Sesshoumaru carried her down into the depths. He led her to the mound of pillows and Kagome gratefully tumbled onto their softness, bringing one of the furs layering it up to cover herself. Without the fire, the chill had seeped mercilessly back into the air.

She closed her eyes, listening as Sesshoumaru moved around in the darkness. As he lit the fire once more, Kagome found herself vaguely wondering what remains she'd see.

When the fire sparked to life, she couldn't help herself. Opening her eyes, she sat up and looked around her but there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. It was as if Kikyou had never been there.

Sesshoumaru seemed to know the direction of her thoughts and looked on, almost coldly, as he gave her the answer she seemed to be seeking. "The dead miko is no more. When the souls within her were returned to their rightful places her body returned to the clay and ash from which it had been formed."

Kagome couldn't help the tears that swelled up in her eyes. Kikyou's life had been saddening when she was alive and even more so when she was brought back to a half life. Laying back down, not wanting to discuss her tears with Sesshoumaru, Kagome swiped her hands across her eyes and whispered a silent prayer for Kikyou.

A minute later she felt the pillows beside her dip down as Sesshoumaru came and lay down beside her. Surprised by his actions, she turned and looked over her shoulder at him. His armor was absent once more and his eyes were staring up at the ceiling of the cavern above. His chest rose and fell in deep, even breaths. "What are you doing?"

His eyes turned from the ceiling to look at her, guarded as they usually were. Whatever had come over him at the hot spring seemed to have vanished and she was, once more, left guessing to his current emotions. "This one shall watch over you while you rest, miko."

"I'm not going to run away," she felt the need to say again.

His body turned towards her and his hand reached out, grasping her around her waist. It was easy for him to drag her across the space that separated them, turning her back to him and molding her to his side. He buried his nose into her hair, inhaling deeply, while his hand remained possessively at her waist. The position seemed so natural to her and she knew this was how he had been sleeping with her. "Sleep, miko," he ordered.

As tired as she was, Kagome did not want to sleep just yet. She had questions ruling her mind at the moment. She asked the first one that popped up to greet her lips. "Sesshoumaru, why did you object to my holding onto Shippou? He's just a child. No threat to you at all." Even though she had not heard him voice any objections towards Shippou, she had felt it all the same. It had been almost tangible, hanging heavily in the air.

He had hoped the miko had been unaware of his sudden rush of jealousy and possessiveness where the kitsune was concerned. The feelings had been unfounded. The little youkai was not even near the age of maturity and therefore should not have been viewed as such a rival. Why he had instinctively released a warning growl directed at the fox youkai, he could not say. Thankfully, the kitsune had recognized the warning being given and retreated from the miko's arms. Knowing he need to say something to soothe over the miko's worries or else she would not seek the rest her body was demanding, Sesshoumaru released a low growl that vibrated through his chest and into hers. It was meant to calm her and worked as tensing muscles slowly relaxed. "I did not see the kitsune as a threat to our bond, miko," he informed her quietly when she was once more resting against him. "You are mine. This I know. Now sleep."

Kagome sighed irritably. She was not satisfied by his answer, knowing there was something more. She opened her mouth, about to press him for more, and then decided against it. One had to properly choose when to pick their battles where the daiyoukai was concerned she was coming to learn.

Uncomfortable with the situation she was in but comfortable with it at the same time, Kagome's mind, instead of continuing to circle the earlier situation with Shippou, began rehashing all that had happened to her over the last few months. Every word that had passed between she and Sesshoumaru replayed itself in her mind. Every touch and caress seemed to be felt once more by her body. As much as she did not want to admit it, she did feel a strange peace, a lure for more, where Sesshoumaru was concerned. She could feel her inner self reaching out to him, wanting more and more from him. The feeling unnerved her because she'd never thought to be able to feel this way around him. She'd long ago decided her heart belonged to Inuyasha and it almost made her cry that her heart had now set itself on a different course without her knowing or giving consent.

Knowing she was working herself up again and deciding it best if these thoughts were more thoroughly looked at after she was better rested, Kagome forced her mind to sweep itself clean. Sleep was slow to claim her, but she found herself finally succumbing to its call, wrapped warmly in the oddly comforting embrace of her daiyoukai.

***


	17. Chapter 17

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Seventeen ~

INUYASHA shot back to life with an upright jerk of his body. His wide eyes took in the scene before him and his keen nose immediately noticed the lack of one particular scent; the scent that had been renewed on him so recently. "Kagome," he breathed.

In an instant, Sango was at his side, her eyes concerned. She looked like she wanted to reach out and touch him, but she held herself back. Instead, she tried to ease him with words. "Take it easy, Inuyasha."

He gave her a disgruntled look. They were forever forgetting that he was hanyou, it seemed He didn't need to 'take it easy' like they did. "Where's Kagome?"

Sango's eyes darkened with emotion. "With Sesshoumaru still."

"What?! But she was here! She came!"

_Did he not remember_? "Ungai deceived us," Sango explained. "Do you not remember, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha looked away, closing his eyes as he tried to remember what exactly had happened. He could recall the pain as his youkai blood took over him and pushed him, who he normally was, aside. Then he could remember the intoxicating smell of blood. Lots of blood. His youkai side had liked that. And then there was Kagome. At the thought of her name, her voice floated back through his mind. _"Come back to me, Inuyasha,"_ she had said. _"Hey, you. Welcome back. I missed you." _He could still feel her as she'd embraced him, holding onto him tightly as her miko energies surrounded him and calmed him.

Instinctively raising his claws to his face, he sniffed at them and felt a shutter course through his body. The blood might have been washed away, but her distinctive scent was still there. He'd hurt her when he was transformed. He'd dug his claws into her flesh and if Sesshoumaru hadn't have been there she probably would have been dead. _Stupid girl,_ he thought. _What was she thinking, coming up to me when I was like that?_

His eyes turned and looked to Shippou. The kitsune was lying near Kirara, a knowing look on his face. Why had he not said anything about him hurting Kagome to Sango? Not wanting to know the answers, Inuyasha looked around him for something to distract his mind and noticed the absence of the monk. "Where's Miroku?"

"He's finishing up the last of the burials."

Inuyasha huffed. Those sorry priests didn't deserve to be buried. His hand automatically reached down to hold onto Tessaiga, but the sword wasn't there. Then Shippou appeared at his side, sword in hand. "Thanks, runt," Inuyasha grunted as he took his father's fang from him and rubbed the kitsune's head almost affectionately.

He stood, replacing the blade at his side, and walked off into the direction he knew Miroku was in. After crossing through the trees, he arrived at the small clearing that Miroku and Sango had been burying the priests in. When he walked into it Miroku was just raking the dirt back over what looked to be the last grave. "All here?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up behind the monk. If any of those priests had managed to escape Sesshoumaru, he would gladly hunt them down himself and end their lives.

"Ah, Inuyasha. You have awoken at last," Miroku said with a tired sigh. "You've been out for two days."

Two days? It had never taken him that long to recover before. What had been different this time? He hadn't even been seriously injured.

Inuyasha pushed the question aside and looked Miroku over. He was bandaged around his head, like Sango had been, and his robes still held traces of blood on them. The blood wasn't his, though. Probably belonged to the priests they'd been burying. "What the hell happened to you?"

Miroku shrugged, managing somehow to look sheepish. "I was struck from behind," he admitted.

"Some warrior priest you are."

Miroku chose not to comment. He turned his gaze towards the field of graves before him. "Sesshoumaru didn't leave much behind to be buried," he said, answering Inuyasha's earlier question. "I cannot say if any lived or not."

Inuyasha sniffed at the air. Even though two days had apparently passed, the heavy scent of recent bloodshed and that of his brother was still wrong and the ground, where Miroku hadn't walked while burying the priests' remains, still showed signs of a very one-sided fight. "They didn't," Inuyasha said with surety. "Sesshoumaru wouldn't leave any of them alive. Not this time, anyhow."

"He is thorough," Miroku agreed, thinking back over the pieces of men he and Sango had collected and buried. Then he turned and looked over at his friend. Inuyasha seemed to be fidgeting, an unusual occurrence. He was anxious about something and that something Miroku knew was Kagome. But not once in the minutes they'd been standing there had Inuyasha spoken of going after her. "Inuyasha, is there some reason you are not racing off after Kagome?"

Inuyasha folded his arms obstinately across his chest and said gruffly, "Can't very well go running across the countryside with you two banged up as you are. She'd never forgive me for leaving you behind."

There was more to his not wanting to immediately go chasing after Kagome, but Miroku had been around Inuyasha long enough to know not to press the issue. He would only get an angry word in retort and nothing answered. "Did you, by chance, see the Lady Kagome when she was here, Inuyasha?"

"Sort of," he answered after a time. The monk was a good listener and had tried to give him advice in the past. Why couldn't he just talk to him like he did Kagome? She'd always had an open ear for him—even if he hadn't wanted to share.

"Ah," said Miroku with understanding. He was well aware of how Inuyasha was when his youkai blood controlled him. "But she saved you."

"Yeah, yeah. And then left with that bastard!"

"I believe the Lady Kagome had no choice in the matter, Inuyasha."

"There's always a choice. She says that all the time."

"The Lady Kagome's modern wisdom does not always apply to all situations, Inuyasha. There was probably more to it than we are aware of."

Inuyasha wanted to believe that she'd had a damn good reason for traipsing off with Sesshoumaru after all he'd gone through for her. He didn't want to believe that she _wanted_ to be with that bastard. No, she'd wanted to stay with him. He could remember that clearly. There'd been longing and love in her voice when she'd spoken to him, when she'd called him back to his sanity. "That bastard probably threatened her."

"I find that hard to believe," Miroku returned honestly. "According to Shippou, Sesshoumaru was not acting threatening towards her."

"That runt saw them?!"

Miroku turned to fully face Inuyasha. His eyes missed nothing as he watched the hanyou before him. "He did not tell you?"

Inuyasha grunted and looked away. He knew the probable reason Shippou hadn't said anything to him yet, but he wasn't about to tell the monk that.

Miroku did not take offense, knowing the half-breed as he did. "Shippou said that Kagome was allowed to speak with him. She told him to pass along a message."

When the monk paused in his telling, Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "You gonna tell me what she said or what, monk?"

Miroku suppressed a smile despite their current situation. Inuyasha's reaction was just what he'd been looking for. "She wanted us to know that she loves and misses us. That she is well and will see us again soon."

He chose to ignore Miroku's words about Kagome loving and missing him. "Wishful thinking," Inuyasha muttered. "That bastard will never willingly let her go."

"So what should we do now, Inuyasha?"

"Hell if I know, but I gotta find her," Inuyasha answered and then paused. When he spoke next, his voice was a whisper, not meant to be heard but heard nonetheless. "I need her."

***

Sesshoumaru watched over her while she slept.

His little miko moved not a muscle. Her body fell into a deep sleep, her breathing even. She felt so right wrapped up in his embrace. She fit him perfectly. When she did finally move, it was only to turn more fully into him. Her lips parted in sleep and her breath tickled against his neck.

While she slept, Sesshoumaru studied the woman lying before him. With gentleness unknown to him, he ran his claws down the side of her face, stroking her cheek tenderly. His fingers combed through the soft locks of her hair, spreading the mass out behind her like a fan. The darkness of her hair and her sun-kissed skin contrasted sharply against his paleness and he enjoyed the sight of that, of their bodies intertwined in such a way. It matched the dance of their auras, the flare of their spirits. The sight brought him peace, deeply and truly felt. The scent of her filled him and he allowed it to flow through his body, knowing he would never be able to have enough of it. She was necessary to him now. More necessary than he ever thought possible, but what would the miko say if he were to speak those words to her? What would she do once she knew she held him in her hands?

_Oh, how the mighty have fallen,_ he thought. _The great daiyoukai of the West laying himself in the hands of a human girl._

He knew her more than she thought he did. His miko was kind-hearted almost to the point of stupidity in some cases—according to his way of thinking, at least. She would never intentionally hurt someone, but she would never take a lie in place of the truth either. She was self-sacrificing, giving of herself and making sure everyone else was cared for before even thinking of her own well-being. She stumbled into situations out of her control and tried to be the one in the middle, the peace-maker. She viewed the world differently than others and wherever she went she left a piece of herself behind. There was not one person who'd met her that remained unscathed; himself included it seemed. She had faced pain, injury, and death without ever demanding that which was her due. She had given her loyalty and love to his half-brother without ever expecting something from him in return.

Sesshoumaru had taken her intending to reap the benefits of such a union without giving any in return. In some ways, that had been a foolish undertaking to attempt. He had thought himself above falling prey to the will of the Kamis. He had never suspected that his own heart would betray him in such a way. He had never seen it coming as he'd bantered with her, on what he considered her foolish ideals. Little did he know that each word she spoke, each emotion she felt, struck him like a dagger to the chest and buried its way slowly into his being, past the barriers he'd erected with such dedicated care. Even as he'd tried wounding her with words, his own weapons had turned against him. She'd drawn more than blood, more than spirit, from him. She was drawing out the youkai his father had wanted him to be, the youkai he never thought to become.

What would she do if she were told these things? What would she say in return? Would the light of her eyes glow for him? Would her body fill with desire? Did she share these same feelings where he was concerned? Would she tumble into him, wrapping her arms as tightly around him as she had done with Inuyasha? Would her lips form the words he so longed to hear from her in that voice he so craved? Would she love him, like she loved his brother? Would he reap the same loyalty has Inuyasha had? Or would she turn away in loathing? Would the monster that he was frighten her as he spoke his words of devotion? Would she try and run from him again if she knew his true thoughts?

A sudden burst of jealousy rose up in him as he thought of how the miko felt towards his half-brother. The flare died almost as soon as it had sparked as he focused his gaze back onto the miko's sleeping face.

No, she wouldn't run. The miko was as honorable as he and she had sworn never to run from him again.

He knew they were meant to be. It had been declared by the Kamis that they were to be one if he could win her. If... But he had time. He had all the time the world to make her his. And she would stay by his side for all eternity, whether in physical or spiritual form. He would never be without her again. Her aura would flow with his and together they would be complete, they would know...love.

_Love_, Sesshoumaru scoffed. He'd always believed it a wasted thing to feel. He'd always thought that love was what killed his great and terrible father. He'd always known how foolish it would be to fall into such a trap.

Now what did he believe? Now what did he know?

Her eyes fluttered as she tried to wake. They opened and her head turned upwards, looking for him. Their eyes locked onto one another's and a soft smile came to her lips. Then her eyes closed once more and she fell back into an exhausted sleep. Sesshoumaru knew she was still half asleep when she'd opened her eyes and smiled, but he refused to believe that the smile she'd given had been meant for anyone other than he.

He leaned down, placing his lips carefully upon her own. A light brush, a brief meeting, was all he wanted. He breathed in her scent and pressed his youki upon her, wanting to aid her body in its restoring state. Her own essence answered, engulfing what he offered and taking it. More of the peace and calm she offered filled him as her spirit willingly took him into itself.

Sesshoumaru wanted so much to tell the miko how he felt, but he had never much been a youkai of words and already he'd told her too much, shown her too much—far more than he had ever intended to. But he knew, in order to complete the bond between them, all needed to be laid bare for the other to see. They needed acceptance between them, full understanding. Yet how to do that when the words would not come to him? How to tell the miko about the power she held over him without revealing it as a weakness?

All of this still felt so new to him. He was known as ever being the tactician, always ready for whatever may come, but now he tread new territory. Now he walked a different path of conquest and this path was not one he could—or wanted to—walk alone.

Sesshoumaru forced himself to move away from the miko. He stood, his eyes never leaving her form. She was so beautiful, both inside and out. She was so pure: light where he was dark, soft where he was hard, peaceful where he held rage. She was his and he would never be able to live without her. This he knew. This he fully accepted as fact unchangeable. But what would the miko say?

The question plagued him as the miko continued to rest.

***

Kagome woke, her body feeling heavy and sore. Sitting up, she was not surprised to find the daiyoukai standing not far away. His eyes, flaring with a fire all their own, were turned in her direction. It was almost as if they had never left her, as if he had truly watched her the entire time she slept. "How long was I asleep?" she asked.

"You slept for nearly a full day," he answered, his voice as monotone as ever.

She tried to force a laugh past her lips. "I must have really been tired." Her laugh failed her. Tension hung in the air once more, but this tension was not the uncomfortable one. It was charged with unsaid words and emotions and, if visible, would have been sharp, bright sparks shooting between she and the daiyoukai. "Thank you for letting me rest."

"Your body required it."

"Ah, yes. Another one of those human failings, I suppose."

Why she mentioned her humanity to him, she couldn't say. Partially it was, perhaps, because she still refused to believe that a being such as Sesshoumaru could desire her as he did. Whatever her reasoning was, Sesshoumaru acted as if her humanity no longer bothered him—not that she'd ever felt that it had since he'd first laid his claim upon her. Not once had he ever mentioned anything about her being human in a scathing way. Well, except when he'd tried to hurt her feelings, but he'd been lying to himself then. She was sure.

As she watched, he lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug and then turned his gaze away from her. As soon as he did so some of the charge seemed to seep out of the air. "There is clean clothing and sandals for your feet," he said, staring off into the firelight as if it held all the answers in the world.

Kagome noticed the neat pile at the base of the mound of pillows and then she glanced down at herself. She was still wearing his haori. Blushing slightly, she scooted down to the pile of clothing. Everything she would need was there. Her own undergarments and shoes had been left behind at the hot spring when Sesshoumaru had so readily carried her away back to this place. "Thank you."

His head moved ever so slightly in the way of a nod but he did not turn towards her. "Shortly you will have sustenance, miko," he said after a moment of silence. "Refresh yourself while I am gone."

Sesshoumaru turned towards her once more, his eyes catching hers and causing her breath to stall for a moment's time. She could see him sniffing at the air, confirming whatever thoughts were on his mind. Then, in a flash, he was gone. Shaking her head over the daiyoukai's speed, so much faster than Inuyasha's, she quickly shed his haori and dressed in the clothing provided for her. She had no idea when Sesshoumaru would be returning and she didn't want him to see her naked...again. At that thought, her blush intensified as she remembered the hot springs. He'd already seen all she had when he'd carried her out of the water.

Dressed, Kagome neatly folded his haori and set it aside. She ran her fingers through her hair, bemoaning the fact that she had no brush, and moved to the cavern's water supply. She was washing her face and hands when Sesshoumaru returned. Looking over her shoulder at him, she wasn't surprised to see that he had donned his haori once more. _That speed of his could truly be useful_, she thought absentmindedly.

She stood and moved somewhat cautiously towards him. Before she could come very close, he pointed towards a small platter that held two fish and an assortment of berries. The fish was already cooked. This was something new. Taking the platter in hand, she popped one of the berries in her mouth. The berry broke as her teeth crushed it and its sweet juices ran over her tongue. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru," she said again and wondered if any other words would ever come out of her mouth again this day.

"Your gratitude is unnecessary, miko. It is my duty to provide for you."

"You may think it unnecessary, but I give it all the same."

"If you feel you must, then tell Rin of your gratitude. She is the one who prepared your meal."

"Rin?" Kagome said, eying the platter with a new look. "I will do that."

He waited patiently for her to finish her meal. When she was done, Kagome washed her hands again and then the platter. Finished, she moved back towards the daiyoukai but stopped a few feet away. For some reason he wore a cloak about himself now. She could sense that he was uncomfortable with something. This feeling had never been there before. Always he had radiated sureness in everything he did. "Is something wrong, Sesshoumaru?"

"No," he answered simply. Then he moved towards the exit. "Come, miko. We have much ground to cover."

She trailed after him, stumbling slightly as the darkness enveloped them. When she did, Sesshoumaru was automatically by her side, steadying her. Before she could thank him for his assistance, he wrapped his arm around her, pressing her close to his body and filling her nose with his unique scent. She couldn't place the smell, a mixture of everything wild, but it comforted her all the same. Then, walking almost lazily despite his words of time being of the essence, he carried her out and to the mouth of the tunnel. There he set her down and moved away from her even though he radiated disagreement with such actions.

Kagome looked around her. It was night once more. The moon shone down upon them, lighting the mouth of the cave and the land beyond faintly. In the far distance she could make out the beginnings of dawn. A tingle ran up her body and Kagome turned to look at Sesshoumaru. His youki was flaring, stretching out around him and marking this area as his. Then, just as suddenly as it had happened, the feeling of his youki almost all but vanished and he was reaching for her once more. Kagome offered no protest as he wrapped her close to his body and his youki cloud formed underneath them.

They lifted into the air and she turned her body more towards his as the chill hit her skin. The mokomoko curled around from its place on his shoulder to wrap around her, offering a barrier of sorts from the chill of the air. He gained altitude until the ground beneath them seemed like something unreal and then, slowly, they lowered once more and settled down into the middle of a dense forest Kagome looked around her, but she couldn't see any signs of Rin or Jaken. Sesshoumaru gave her a minute to right herself and then stalked off ahead of her without a word. Kagome followed.

It wasn't long before they breached a line of trees and Kagome smelled the remains of a fire. Then she heard Rin's cheery voice call out. "Lord Sesshoumaru! You have returned to us!"

"Of course, he's returned, you silly human," came Jaken's reply. "Our Lord Sesshoumaru would never abandon us!"

Kagome stayed slightly behind him as he walked forward, but, when Rin saw her, the child's bright smile grew even larger. "Kagome!" she shouted, racing across the distance that separated them. "Did you like the fish I prepared for you?"

Kagome dropped down to the child's height, accepting the offered hug. "I loved it, Rin. Thank you very much for doing that for me. It was the best fish I've ever had! How have you been?"

The little girl's already large smile grew underneath Kagome's praise and the shine of her eyes was near to blinding. She was such a sweet child. "I have been wonderful, Kagome," she answered and then moved a respectful distance away. Her adoring eyes turned to her Lord. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she said again, her voice calmer than before. "Welcome back."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the child for a moment, his eyes indiscernible, and then his gaze turned to Jaken, who was staring with an open mouth at the miko. He did not like the look in the imp's eyes, nor the smell about him. It was the same smell that had hung about the imp when Rin had first joined them. "Jaken, ready Ah-Un," he said, his voice more stern than normal. "We will be leaving soon."

"Yes, my Lord!" came Jaken's quick reply. He threw one last look towards the miko before hurrying off to fulfill his Lord's demands. Whatever his Lord was doing with the miko was none of his concern, he knew, but still. He could not fathom his Lord taking on a second human. Oh what had he done to deserve such punishment?! And this one was of rutting age…

Kagome watched the imp scurry off to fulfill his Lord's orders and then she turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru, himself. Having been in his presence without others around, she was finding that Sesshoumaru had given her something he'd never shown to anyone else. Here he was more reserved, the mask firmly in place. His voice was flat, even, and as lordly as it had ever been. Then, when it had been just her and he, he had been more open with her, allowing her to see who and what he was in his own way.

Her gaze traveled down to Rin, such a sweet and innocent girl. Rin always wore a smile on her face, as if she sensed the true nature of her Lord and appealed to it. The child seemed to want to bring her Lord the happiness he craved, but understood that he could not openly show such emotions where she was concerned. Catching her Lord's eyes seemed to be enough for the child to thrive on, to live with, and to love. If she remained by Sesshoumaru's side would that be what she would have to hold onto? Fleeting glimpses of warmth from his eyes but a cold exterior to look upon? Could she possibly be as devoted as this child standing so innocently before her?

Kagome was shaken from her thoughts as Rin took a tight hold of her hand and started to pull her forward, her bright smile still in place. Already Sesshoumaru and Jaken were walking away from them without looking back. Ah-Un fell protectively in line behind them as a new day dawned.

***


	18. Chapter 18

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Eighteen ~

THEY had come to the decision to retreat back to Kaede's to heal their wounds and plan anew. Their gate was slower than normal, as if they did not truly long to be going where they were heading. Inuyasha led the way, looking as he always did, but everyone could tell he was hurting, he was pained. Sango and Miroku, sensing Inuyasha's needs, trailed slightly behind their friend. Shippou rode on Miroku's shoulder while Sango carried Kirara. The little kitsune studied his hanyou friend with knowing eyes and finally he jumped down off of Miroku's shoulder and pounced ahead of them. In one smooth motion, well practiced from the number of times he'd done it, he jumped up onto Inuyasha's shoulders. Inuyasha spared him a brief glance before turning his head forward once more. "What do you want, runt?" he asked gruffly.

"Kagome would not blame you," he said softly so the others wouldn't hear him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shippou," Inuyasha answered back in his normal tone.

"She wouldn't blame you for hurting her," Shippou insisted. "She never has."

Shippou might be considered young among other youkai, but he'd traveled with these people, these friends, long enough to grasp the relations between them. He knew Kagome. He knew Inuyasha. They, who he had traveled with the most since his parents' death, were dear to him far more than the others. While he still valued and loved the others as pack, as family, he knew the relations, the ups and the downs, of Kagome and Inuyasha more so than them. He'd been there almost since the beginning of their journey to collect the shards of the Shikon no Tama and tried his hardest to clear the obstructions between the two in the best way his young mind knew how to.

Inuyasha remained stubbornly silent and Shippou let out an irritated sigh. "So what are we going to do now, Inuyasha?" he asked, a little louder so that Miroku and Sango could hear his question. He knew that they were wondering the same as he right then.

A growl and the tensing of muscles underneath him was his only answer. Shippou spoke his next question so that only Inuyasha could hear. "Would Kagome want you to punish yourself for something you had no control over?"

Shippou knew Inuyasha was aware of the fact that he'd hurt Kagome in his transformed state. He was also aware of the emotions of guilt and pain pouring off the hanyou. It wasn't his business to share such news with the others, though. He respected Inuyasha too much to do so. But he wasn't about to let Inuyasha stew in his emotions at the risk of Kagome.

"How the hell am I supposed to know that?" Inuyasha finally answered. "And what the hell do you think you're doin' talking to me about that?! It's none of your damn concern!"

Inuyasha was about to knock Shippou off of his shoulder when he suddenly stopped, his body going stiff. Reflexively, Shippou jumped off his shoulder and returned to the others, who were already in battle ready positions. "What is it, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"I smell Kagome," was all Inuyasha said before darting off into the trees.

"Kirara!" Sango called, but the fire neko was ahead of her, already transformed into her larger self.

She and Miroku jumped on the fire neko's back and Kirara took off after Inuyasha. When they caught up to Inuyasha, they found him kneeling on the ground beside a large hot spring. He was gripping something in his claws that appeared to be clothing, his nose buried into the fabric. Sango jumped down from Kirara's back. "What is it, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha stood and held up what was in his arms. "It's Kagome's. She was here."

Miroku approached Sango's side. He saw the dark stains on the kimono's fabric. There seemed to be a great deal of blood on it. Was he wrong where his guesses of Sesshoumaru and Kagome were concerned? Had the daiyoukai hurt their friend? "There's blood on it, Inuyasha. Is it hers?"

"No," Inuyasha answered slowly. "It's mine."

It wasn't really a lie. His own blood did coat the shoulder of the kimono in his arms. Her blood stained the sleeves where his claws had punctured her. Holding the kimono next to him, he breathed deeply and let her scent wash over him. Yes, there seemed to something new about it, but it was still Kagome. It was still _her_ and it reminded him all too much of how it had felt to have her arms wrapped around him.

He tucked the bloody kimono into his haori and picked up the rest of Kagome's clothing, blushing as his claws touched her undergarments. _What in the hell is she wearing now?! _he thought with a growl. Another quick sniff of the air revealed nothing else about what had occurred in the hot springs, but if Sesshoumaru had hurt Kagome Inuyasha would be sure the bastard paid for it in blood and pain.

His determination renewed, Inuyasha turned to his companions. "Sesshoumaru took her that way," he said, pointing in the direction the scents were leading him in. The trail was faint because it had been days since Sesshoumaru and Kagome had been there, but his determination to find her seemed to have strengthened his sense of smell where Kagome was concerned.

"Then that is the way we shall travel," Miroku answered him.

***

They walked for most of the day. Where they traveled to, Kagome could not say and no one voiced anything about the direction Sesshoumaru chose for them. It was odd, the differences between what she was use to and Sesshoumaru's group. While she and her friends had always chatted animatedly between themselves whenever the chance occurred, silence seemed to be the norm here. Well, silence except for Rin's occasional chatter and observations with Jaken's sometimes grumbled replies.

At first, Kagome had tried to follow with Rin's conversation, it having been so long since she'd had someone else to speak with, but her mind soon fell prey to her thoughts and she found she couldn't follow along with the girl's chatter. If Rin noticed the decidedly lack of replies from Kagome, she didn't let it show, but Kagome assumed Rin was use to such one-sided conversations.

As they walked, Sesshoumaru seemed pay little to no attention to those who followed him. His sight was always set forward facing and his gait smooth and even. It was almost as if his feet floated above the ground instead of touching it. Kagome felt as if her own footsteps were like large feet stomping upon the ground compared to him. Perhaps he didn't touch the ground after all? Perhaps it was just an illusion and that was how he was able to be so silent?

Her intent thoughts led her to stare at Sesshoumaru's booted feet in contemplation. Rin eventually noticed where she was staring and she clasped her hand around Kagome's arm, drawing the girl's attention to her once more. "My Lord has beautiful feet, does he not?"

"What?" Kagome said in disbelief, not sure if she had heard what Rin had said correctly.

"My Lord has beautiful feet!"

"I wouldn't know, Rin. I've never seen Lord Sesshoumaru's feet."

Rin gave a shrug, which said she had never seen Sesshoumaru's feet either but that she was sure they were as beautiful and great as the rest of him. The little girl then fell into her own silence, her eyes watching Sesshoumaru's feet in contemplation, as well, and Kagome felt a blush rising on her face. Then she felt _him._ It wasn't his physical touch, but it was his aura reaching out and stroking up against her own. Her eyes rose from his feet to look at the back of his head. He turned his head slightly, looking at her from out of the corner of his eyes. Was there mirth shining in them? How odd.

They stopped a little while later by the bend of a softly flowing river. Ah-Un wandered off to graze as Sesshoumaru seated himself underneath the shade of a tree. His back was still ramrod straight, but there was an air of rest about him. Rin immediately set to wading in the water, kicking her feet and sending up small splashes of water, while Jaken stayed on the shore lecturing the girl to not get herself wet this time around. Surprisingly, the imp had all but ignored her for most of the day and Kagome wasn't sure what to make of that. Perhaps Jaken could sense that some part of her belonged to Sesshoumaru and he was holding back his usual bevy of insults and mean-spirited comments because of that?

Not sure what to do with herself, Kagome sat down on the ground, removing her sandals and burying her feet into the thick grasses. She was watching Rin when she sensed Sesshoumaru's eyes upon her. Looking over her shoulder at the daiyoukai, she found that he was, indeed, staring at her. His eyes were guarded, but she could tell that he was thinking over something concerning her. Fighting back the need to demand answers, she returned his gaze with what she hoped was the same expression on her face. A minute later, the daiyoukai broke eye contact and stood. "Jaken."

"Yes, my Lord?" the little imp said with glee, happy to be of service to his lord and master.

"Watch Rin."

"Yes, my Lord!" the imp replied with a side long glance at her that said he'd been watching for any foul moves she made towards his Lord's ward.

Kagome almost rolled her eyes towards the imp and then Sesshoumaru was gone.

Not sure of what to make of Sesshoumaru's sudden disappearance, Kagome turned her eyes back to her new traveling companions. They did not seem disturbed by Sesshoumaru's instant departure in the least. "Where did he go?" she asked out loud, unsure if she would get a reply or not.

Jaken turned his bulbous eyes towards her, his dislike of her easily seen in them. "Silly, human. It is not your place to question the actions of my Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Do not worry, Kagome," Rin answered as she climbed back up onto the bank. She smiled brightly. "Lord Sesshoumaru always returns."

Rin came over and plopped down beside her in the grass. Jaken humphed at the pair and moved to the spot Sesshoumaru had abandoned. He sat heavily down upon the ground, leaning back against the tree and closing his eyes. "Of course, he'd return," Kagome said to Rin. "How could he stand to leave you behind?"

"And you, Kagome. I think Lord Sesshoumaru likes you very much."

Ignoring the snort from Jaken, Kagome picked a stray wild flower up from the ground and began plucking the petals off one by one. "You think that, huh?"

"Yes. My Lord cannot show what he feels, but I know it all the same."

"Disgusting humans! Placing emotions onto to my Lord's countenance. Oh the indignity of it all!" came a grumbled reply from behind them.

Rin continued speaking as if she hadn't heard Jaken at all. Hearing the imp's grumblings must be something else she was use to. "I have seen the way he looks at you."

"Lord Sesshoumaru has hardly looked at me at all, Rin," Kagome said with an indulging smile. Secretly she wanted to hear this child's thoughts because her own were such a mess. Was there something she was missing? Yes, there was. She was too blinded to see the picture clearly and her grandfather had always said that if one wanted to hear complete honesty all they had to do was seek the presence of a child.

"Not while you were looking," Rin chirped. Then she jumped up from her spot and ran over towards another grouping of flowers.

Kagome watched the child go and wondered where she found such energy. Then her mind turned to Rin's words. She'd been in the child's presence for less than a day and already Rin was making observations between she and Sesshoumaru. Was it all truly as simple as the child deemed it to be? The rumbling of her stomach stole her from her thoughts and onto the fact that she was hungry. Standing, Kagome looked around for something to eat. When she was with Inuyasha she hadn't really had to fend for herself. There had always been her trusty ramen or someone else had done the hunting. Or, at least, she had some tool other than just her hands. "Rin?" she called to the child. There was never day when a new skill shouldn't be learned, Kagome decided.

"Yes, Kagome?"

"Do you think you can teach me how to fish like you do?"

***

Kagome made a pretense of lying down near Rin that evening. When the child had fallen asleep, she rose and fed the fire more of the wood she'd collected. Then she wandered away from the fire's light to sit down beside the grassy banks of the river once more. The night sky was devoid of cloud cover and the stars shone down on her like a million pinpricks of light from above. Never in Tokyo had the sky ever been as beautiful as it was here. There were too many lights. Not even outside of the great city was there a view such as this.

Sighing to herself, Kagome began rehashing through her thoughts as she had done the night before. It was funny in a strange sort of way that so much had happened to her in such a short period of time. It had not even been a month since she had been taken by Sesshoumaru and already it felt as if an entire lifetime had passed. "Inuyasha," she breathed, mouthing the words but giving them no voice in case Sesshoumaru lurked nearby.

As thoughts of Inuyasha rose in her mind, tears fought to come to her eyes. How she wished she had been able to talk with him! She wanted to hear his voice again. After all this time, the hanyou had become something near and dear to her. She treasured him, just as she treasured all her friends. And now...now she felt as if she was, in some way, betraying him because of this pull she felt towards Sesshoumaru.

Myoga had told her that their bonding was nearly complete, that her essence, her soul, had already accepted Sesshoumaru and that all that was needed to be done was for her to take it with her heart and mind, as well. Should she try and leave him, she risked his madness and maybe her own. But should she stay, she would risk losing herself anyway. _Tied to one through thought, _she thought_, and bound to another through soul_. Were the Fates always to be so cruel to her?

Kagome could not deny that she did feel something in the daiyoukai's presence. He wasn't the warmest of youkais she'd known, but he was...he was something more than he presented to the world. He could be quite...loving, one might say. Touching. He found her beautiful, desirable, and that, in itself, was something she had never thought to find. To her, Sesshoumaru was beauty in concrete form. Cold, though. Lonely. Yet, recently, that coldness and loneliness had not been present. Was that because of her?

Shaking her head clear of thoughts, Kagome turned her eyes away from the stars to stare into the inky black waters rippling smoothly before her. She slid her sandals off her feet and placed them slowly into the waters. The chill took her by surprise even though she'd spent a better part of the afternoon in these very waters with Rin and eventually Jaken when he'd deemed that the silly humans were doing everything all wrong.

Her entire body felt more tender, more sensitive. It was as if even the movement of the air around her felt like a heavy caress across her skin. She felt as if she was being pushed into a state of pure emotion and the blood in her veins was being replaced by it. The feelings were both beautiful and terrifying.

Closing her eyes, Kagome pictured the brothers' faces side by side. She could feel the division within her. Part of her longed to return to Inuyasha and stand by his side, as she had promised him she would do. The other part of her knew that she belonged with Sesshoumaru. That side of her recalled his words of needing her that he had yelled out. She had never heard such need from him before. And his demands that she not leave his side, that she remain with him, that she say she desired him. She had never known the daiyoukai could be so passionate about something. And his kisses...the feel of him against her. Never had she felt such a strong connection to Inuyasha, but she loved the hanyou. She knew this. She loved Inuyasha and yet her body and soul wanted Sesshoumaru.

They were so much alike and they both needed her, but who to choose? Who to take? Who to accept? Could she truly destroy one for the other? No. Never. She would have to find a way to make this life work. She would have to find a way to fix this situation to where all could be happy and be at peace.

A shiver not having to do with the cold raced up her spine then and she knew Sesshoumaru was standing not far behind her. She did not turn to recognize him, knowing the daiyoukai could sense her thoughts and smell her feelings. "Sesshoumaru..."

"Kagome," he answered softly.

Her eyes widened, slightly, at the sound of her name on his lips. He had said her name before, but still it surprised her. For the longest of times she had thought Sesshoumaru hadn't even known her name.

He came up behind her and a warm feeling pooled within her as he drew nearer. Her body reacted to his nearness.

Kagome pulled her feet out of the water and folded them up around herself. She heard the rustling of his silk clothing as he settled himself behind her and then his clawed hand was placed on her shoulder. Automatically, she felt herself leaning back into the strength he offered her so willingly all of the sudden. Her mind noted that his armor was absent. "You are cold," he whispered against her neck as he breathed in her scent.

"I'm fine," she replied.

"You are sad."

"I'm confused."

He was silent then, seeming content to be near her. And Kagome realized she felt content, too. The building emotions within her settled and backed away.

They sat in silence; Kagome facing forward and content with their current situation. Her mind, once jumbled with thoughts, seemed wiped clean. Then he leaned forward even more. His long hair brushed against her exposed skin, his warm breath heated her in ways she had never known. "What confuses you, Kagome?" he whispered as his lips traced softly in tender kisses up her slender neck.

"Feelings. Thoughts," she found herself answering before she could even think better. "I feel as if I am betraying him."

He stiffened slightly when she spoke of Inuyasha, but then his lips continued their course of tracing lightly up and down her neck and his body seemed to relax. "You betray no one by following yourself."

"I...I promised him that I would remain by his side," she whispered as she leaned her head farther to the side, giving him better access to her throat even as more tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Even this simple action that she could not seem to control yelled betrayal in her mind.

"He is not worthy of you."

"He is," she corrected him. "You are blinded by your hatred of him. You do not know him as I do."

"Nor would I wish to."

She needed to make him understand what she was going through. She _needed_ him to hear her words. "I feel divided," she said, trying to strengthen the tone of her voice so that it would not be coated in the physical lust she was feeling right then. "Not quite whole even though I am more whole than I have been in what seems like years."

His hand ran lightly down her arm, his claws scraping softly against her, and moved across her stomach. He tightened his hold, his arm firmly placed against her and his hand cupping her hip possessively. With a fluid movement, he pulled her closer to his welcoming heat, enveloping her small form with his larger one. "This Sesshoumaru understands you, miko," he whispered once more against her heated flesh.

"Understanding is only half the battle."

He smiled against her skin. She could feel the slight upturning of his mouth as his lips were pressed against the pulse point of her throat. "Sometimes, miko, I wonder if you should not have been born a male."

_Was he joking with her? _her mind screamed out even as body wanted to release a groan of satisfaction. "It is because I am so different from the women of this era. I wasn't raised to be like them." She wanted to explain away her differences to him, as if she needed the justification right then to be who she was. Kagome didn't understand why she felt this need, but she did.

"And for that I am eternally grateful," he assured her. "I long for someone to share my thoughts with. Someone who can reply with intelligence and insight. If I were to share them with you, miko, what would you say?"

She sensed that this was important to him. Her next words would mean much. Kagome took a deep breath, her eyes still focusing on the waters before her while her body focused on the movements of the daiyoukai so lovingly wrapped around her. "I...I would offer you what I could, Sesshoumaru," she replied honestly. "I would be honored that you felt you could share such a thing with me."

He seemed to relax even more against her and she knew it wasn't because of the words she said. It was because of the emotions coming off of her, the scents, that his keen nose was so aware of. It was because of how her aura was interacting with his, something she had noticed for the first time ever.

She released a breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding and leaned even further back into his embrace. Sesshoumaru's arm tightened around her. His lips skimmed up her neck to her ear, where his sharpened fangs latched on gently; not enough to break her skin, but enough to gain her attention. Then he released her tender lobe, his hot breath causing her breathing and heart rate to increase as it scalded her ear. "And if I told you that you held me in your hands, Kagome," he said softly into her ear so that only she could hear. "That I would be lost without you? What would you say to that?"

Kagome stiffened at the words. She turned to face him, to look him in the eye, to see the truth for herself.

***

Inuyasha landed at the mouth of a cave and his lips drew back in an instinctive snarl as the nearly overwhelming stench of his brother hit his nose. Kagome's scent was here, too, though. And so, he fought against the distaste of his half-brother to search out her. A few minutes later Kirara landed on the ledge and Miroku, with Shippou still clutching to his shoulder, and Sango dismounted. "She was here," Inuyasha said in answer to their unasked question.

"How long ago?" Sango asked.

"Can't tell," Inuyasha found himself admitting.

Miroku looked around the entrance and took in the odd markings on one side. It looked as if acid had eaten into the cave's walls. "Is this from Sesshoumaru?" he asked Inuyasha.

Inuyasha didn't even have to really look at what the monk was talking about to answer. "Yeah, " he bit out. "Stay here while I check out what's inside."

Not waiting for any replies, Inuyasha slipped further into the darkness. His stomach clenched as Sesshoumaru's smell and claim grew stronger, but he forced himself onward in need to find out what had become of Kagome. He knew she wasn't here anymore, but any clue he could get as to her current whereabouts superseded that of his hatred for his bastard brother.

When he breached the large cavern that Kagome had apparently been held in for some amount of time, he first breathed in her scent that seemed still to be so fresh. His eyes looked over the place his brother had left his miko in. He went over to the mound of pillows and, as he touched them, his claws sunk into their fabric, ripping into them. Kagome had lain there. She had lain there, sleeping, and the pillows also held the scent of his brother.

He moved away from the bedding, not wanting to give into his anger. That was when another scent caught his nose. _Kikyou_, he thought. Kikyou had been here. _"Then I will aid you in her recovery, Inuyasha." _

Her words floated back to him. Kikyou had come here, to where Kagome was being held. She had come here and here she had remained. There was no trace of her ever leaving this place.

Closing his eyes against the sudden rush of pain, Inuyasha fought against the need to scream, to cry his pain out loud. He fell to his knees where Kikyou's scent was the strongest and his claws dug into the hardened rock underneath him. "Kikyou," he whispered. "Kagome."

Tears he had never bothered to shed came to his eyes as he realized what he'd lost, what he was missing, what his brother had stolen from him. When he opened his eyes once more, they were clear of the threatening tears. He never cried. _It is a sign of weakness_, he told himself. But did he think that because of who he was or who he wished to be?

He stayed there, in the darkness surrounded by both Kagome's and Kikyou's smells, until he knew he could control himself once more. Then he returned to the others. They were waiting, almost patiently, for him. "We can't continue on tonight," he said as he came out of the darkness. "That bastard took her from here, but he flew. I can't follow her trail now."

Miroku noticed the haggard appearance of Inuyasha. "We'll camp further downward," he said, knowing this place probably reeked of Sesshoumaru to Inuyasha's sense of smell. "Then we can begin searching anew in the morning."

"We've come a long way," Sango agreed. "And we could all use some rest."

Inuyasha heard them, but made no comment. He led the way back down the mountainside to where the trees began and watched, half-heartedly, as his friends set up their usual camp site. His mind and heart were full of their own personal war, their own personal pain, at the moment. It came as a bit of a surprise to him that they didn't comment on his mood, but, then again, these weren't the normal circumstances either and it had usually been Kagome who'd approached him.

Turning his gaze towards the moon, he wondered if Kagome was watching it with him.

***


	19. Chapter 19

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Nineteen ~

KAGOME turned in his arms, looking into his eyes. Her own were wide, full of uncertainty. She could feel herself trembling despite the heat Sesshoumaru's body offered her own. His hand felt like a brand burning into her. "What did you say?"

He remained silent, still, before her. His eyes were fixed onto hers and Kagome felt as if he were trying to see into her very soul.

She pushed herself upward onto her knees, practically straddling the daiyoukai but not caring at the moment. Her mouth opened to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, her hands came forward, settling themselves onto his broad shoulders. At her touch, she could feel the strength beneath her tense and relax. Keeping her eyes locked with his golden ones, her fingers lightly traced up the broad expanse of his shoulders to the base of his slender throat. Her nails, blunt claws to his sharpened ones, explored his flesh with light scraps and barely felt brushes. They moved to his face, lightly tracing the markings of his birth, the softness of his lips. Then her fingers moved back down to stroke over the sleek hardened muscles of his chest. Everywhere she touched him there seemed to be a faint trembling, telling her he was as affected by her touch as she was by his. Wherever she touched him, his youki fairly crackled against her flesh, pulling at her. It was as if every part of him wanted to become a part of her. Despite her thoughts, or perhaps because of them, Kagome found herself leaning in towards him.

When she had turned to look at him, Sesshoumaru had willed her to see the truth and he forced himself not to react as her body straddled his, baring her vulnerable midsection in an open invitation. When her hands had first settled upon him, he'd tensed at the pleasure her mere touch evoked. He wanted to close his eyes and focus just on her and what she was doing to him, but he could not look away. Not even for a moment. Then her fingers began moving and paused at the base of his throat. His first instinct was to move away. He was not supposed to be the submissive one! Then he relaxed, reminding himself that the miko was human, and enjoyed the light scraping of her nails as her hands glided smoothly up to his face. When her fingertips touched the markings there, he felt them darken and length as she drew out his more primitive side with her light caresses. Then her fingers traced over his lips and he resisted the urge to suckle the dainty appendages in and taste her sweetness once more. As her hands glided downward once more, Sesshoumaru fought the need to take hold of her hands and place them against his face again.

There was acceptance in the air, in her scent, in her aura. There was need. There was want. There was desire. There was love. The miko might not still understand what was happening to her, but her body and soul were on the verge, on the precipice of falling. Keeping touch with her, he ran his hand up from the small of her back to cup her neck as she leaned forward. Unable to allow her control for a moment longer, he took it.

His kiss was not light, not cherishing. It was hard and demanding. His tongue forced entrance, tasting everything she was. Her emotions were rising, heart beat increasing. The familiar warmth was unfurling within her. Kagome surrendered to the feelings, enjoyed them. She closed her eyes and gave in.

As soon as the miko relaxed against him, Sesshoumaru lightened his kiss, nipping and suckling her lips and tongue. His hand moved from her neck to her legs. Easily maneuvering them to encircle his waist, he rose in one fluid movement without ever disturbing his touch with the miko. She moaned softly as his lips moved to her jaw line and down to her neck, biting softly against her sensitive skin. Her eyes were closed and he could taste her arousal that hung heavily in the air. "There is no one else like you, Kagome," he whispered against her. "You are my only one. This one shall have no other and I will never let you go."

Kagome's breath hitched at his words and she felt a breeze pass across her body. When she opened her eyes, she realized they were some place else. No longer did the water gurgle nearby or the smell of the fire waft through the breeze. Slowly, Sesshoumaru allowed her body to uncurl from his. He slid her down the length of him until her feet once more touched the earth without ever taking his face away from her neck where his tongue was stroking boldly against her flesh. A nuzzle from his nose and slight urging from his hand turned her and Kagome gasped.

Flowers. They were surrounded by a field of white flowers.

Eerily memories swarmed back through her mind of all the times Sesshoumaru had come to her in her dreams and of the one time she had managed to bring him to her. Her eyes lifted and there hung the moon in the sky above, seeming closer to the earth than before. "Sesshoumaru?" she whispered. He had stopped stroking against her and seemed content to merely bury his face into her neck and hair. His breath was coming out even and warmed her where it fanned across her skin. "Where are we?"

He straightened, his hand crossing possessively across her chest, bringing her back flush with his body. "This is where we shall complete our bond, miko," he replied.

At his words, a shiver raced up her spine. She could sense his peace in this place and understood why. It was beautiful, a blanket of white stretching off into the night's shadows. A thick line of trees rose in the distance and mountains beyond those. "What is this place to you?"

He did not answer. Instead, his hand trailed back across her body to her shoulder and down to her hand where his long fingers easily engulfed her smaller one. When he moved forward, Kagome found herself following his shortened stride into the middle of the field. Then he stopped and turned to face her. Kagome looked up into golden eyes slightly tinged with red and another shiver raced through her body. The mokomoko silently ruffled against her body, wrapping around her leg and moving up to hold onto the rest of her. Almost instinctively, her free hand ran through the thick silky fur of the strange appendage that was still slowly moving to encase her within it. As she did so, Sesshoumaru visibly shook before her and she immediately stilled her movements.

Sesshoumaru felt as if it was his body the miko was stroking so richly and his eyes bled red. He stepped forward when the miko noticed his change and stopped her ministrations. He released her hand, cupping her cheek and mentally cursed the fact that he only had one arm. It had never fazed him before. He was strong enough and skilled enough to not have the missing part affect him at all. Most times he even forgot that the arm was no longer there. Now, however, he wished with all his heart that he had two arms to wrap around the beautiful woman standing before him. "This place is special to me," he answered.

She found herself nervous. His gaze was so intense, so purposeful. Against her skin, the warmth of his hand penetrated into her. His youki circled her; unseen hands stroking against her body, unseen fingers combing through her hair. "How?" she asked, trying to distract him from what he was doing to her.

There was a slight upturning of his lips, as if he knew her game. His shoulders moved barely in the form of a shrug. "I enjoy it, miko. Do you not have places such as this? Places that you go to and find tranquility in?"

"I'm sure I do...," she said weakly when no certain places came to mind. While this era was like a home away from home, it wasn't exactly a tranquil journey for her. Nor was her home in the future a place of refuge really. When she was there, she was always busy running around trying to have the life the Shikon no Tama had denied her.

She tried to turn her eyes away from him, but his hand on her cheek would not allow it. "Do not look away from me, miko," he ordered, knowing what she was trying to do.

He leaned forward, acting as if she would try and run away from him if he moved too quickly. While the idea held merit in Kagome's mind, not only was the daiyoukai's hand gracing her face, but mokomoko-sama was wrapped quite tightly around her. There wasn't a chance in hell she could run and, even if she could run, he would catch her. Besides, she's promised not to run any more in exchange for Inuyasha's life. At the thought of the hanyou, Kagome stiffened just as Sesshoumaru replaced his lips upon hers once more. When she didn't melt into his embrace again, he released a low growl. "You are thinking of the half-breed," he said warningly.

"I can't help my thoughts!" Kagome argued. She didn't deny she had thought of Inuyasha. The hanyou had a way of invading her thoughts at random points in time. Besides, if she denied it, Sesshoumaru would know she was lying.

Sesshoumaru fought back the growl of jealousy. "He has no place here."

"He has a place in me! Inuyasha is my friend. I care about him...very much."

Sesshoumaru pulled away from her, but he didn't lose the contact with her body. He glared down at the woman in his arm, the woman who was meant to be his and who constantly thought about another. It only made him angrier that the other was his bastard half-brother. Still, there were ways to clear her thoughts, as he'd so recently enjoyed. And a miko whose mind was not on the hanyou was more easily persuaded to him.

Smiling darkly, Sesshoumaru watched as her eyes widened with what appeared to be fear. He didn't like that. While to be feared was good, it was not what he wanted the miko to feel towards him ever again, he realized. Easing his touch against her face, his thumb stroked slowly across her cheeks, brushing lightly against the corner of her mouth. "You are so soft, miko," he said, easing the tone of his voice. "How do you manage to stay so soft?"

The fear disappeared to be replaced with questioning. She opened her mouth to respond and Sesshoumaru moved in...for the kill. Pressing his lips against hers, he once more mastered over the physical side of their relations until the miko was pliant in his arms. Slowly, so she would not realize until it was too late, he lowered her down to lay amongst the flowers. His long hair spilled down around them, blocking out their surroundings like a white curtain.

Kagome realized belatedly that she was lying down with Sesshoumaru stretched out atop her. She could feel every muscle in his body and her nervousness rose. What did he think he was doing? "Sesshoumaru?" she said as he moved his lips down to her neck once more, suckling at her pulse point with determination.

He wanted her compliant. He needed her to be. With his fang, he sliced open his tongue and then moved up to kiss her. Before the miko could realize it, he'd bitten into hers as well. Their blood mingled and the heady sensation that overcame him like each time before rushed through his system. The miko, too, felt the effects as their bond was strengthened once more and, when he withdrew from her lips, she let out a low, breathy moan. Her eyes, once shining with determination to resist him and the passion he roused in her, fell to half mast and became heavy with sensation.

Sesshoumaru smiled to himself and kissed his way down to her neck once more. His youki traced over her body, memorizing each detail and the feel of her. "Shh, miko," he cooed softly against her. "Close your eyes and let go."

***

Kagome woke with a gasp. Shooting up from where she was laying, she looked around her almost wildly. Rin and Jaken were still sleeping nearby and dawn was barely gracing the sky. Her mind felt muddled, foggy. _What had happened last night? _A quick search brought her the sight she knew she'd find.

Sesshoumaru.

He was standing perfectly still, straight and tall, facing the east and the rising run. His long hair hung perfectly down his back and the morning breeze gently ruffled his silken clothing. His face looked impassive as always and his eyes stared straight ahead into the blinding light of day.

Kagome stood, her legs feeling strangely shaky, and brushed off the dirt she'd acquired from her night on the ground. _What had happened last night? _she asked herself again. Had everything been a dream? Had she really fallen asleep beside Rin and imagined meeting Sesshoumaru by the water's edge?

Sliding her sandals back onto her feet, she crossed the distance that separated them. She knew Sesshoumaru was aware of her, of everything about her, but he did not turn to face her as she approached him from behind. She stopped a few feet away from him, content for some reason to be close to him. Then, taking a deep breath, she moved up to stand beside him. Her hand settled lightly on his arm, the action just feeling right, and she looked up into his face. He was still not looking at her, but she could feel the tension coiled in his body. "Sesshoumaru?" she said softly.

He looked down at her, briefly, from the corner of his eye and then turned his gaze forward once more. Kagome took a deep breath, feeling awkward and unsure. She removed her hand from his arm, letting it fall almost limply to her side. _What had happened last night?_

She was about to move away when she felt his aura reach out to hers. An unseen hand caressed her cheek lovingly, warmly. Unseen fingers stroked through the loose tresses of her hair, down her back. Kagome closed her eyes against the sensations the touches evoked within her. The familiar warmth was unfurling within; burning and consuming. Sucking in a lung full of much needed air, she forced herself to step away and glanced back at the daiyoukai. He was smirking.

Growling to herself, she moved back to the campsite. Rin was just waking and the child was stretching where she lay. Her eyes popped open and she gave Kagome a wide grin. "Good morning, Kagome!"

"Good morning, Rin. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very. Ah-Un always keeps me warm."

Kagome glanced up at the two-headed dragon. She'd never paid the beast much attention before, but Rin went on and on about its character, likes, and dislikes. She supposed even creatures such as Ah-Un were individuals, as well, and she could already tell the dragon was protective of Rin. Was there any one the child met who did not immediately love her? It was no surprise that she had appealed somehow to Sesshoumaru. "You are very lucky, Rin."

She knew the instant Sesshoumaru walked back into their midst. Jaken was up and groveling at his Lord's feet in a way that made Kagome want to roll her eyes at him. She decided against such a childish action while she and Rin foraged for something to eat in the nearby woods. Rin showed her which mushrooms and berries were okay to eat and Kagome swore that, when this mess was over, she would better acquaint herself with the native food available to her here. It was a little embarrassing being shown what was good to eat and what wasn't by a girl half her age.

Proudly, Rin led the way back to campsite with their food and Kagome sat beside her while they ate. Afterwards, she and Rin went to the water and waded in it, washing their now sticky hands and faces. When they were done, Jaken had already readied Ah-Un and Sesshoumaru was standing slightly apart. He looked at Rin and gave a nod of his head. Rin grinned broadly and climbed up onto Ah-Un's saddle. "Come on, Kagome. Time to fly!" she said with relish.

Kagome climbed up onto Ah-Un's saddle, a little less enthusiastic than Rin. Yes, she'd ridden on Kirara's back before and flown with Sesshoumaru, but this was going to be an altogether new experience. Once she was seated, she wrapped her arms around Rin's slender frame and Rin leaned back into her embrace. "Riding Ah-Un is fun," Rin assured her.

"I'm sure it is," Kagome answered, having nothing more to say.

***

Inuyasha broke into through the tree line, sweat forming on his skin and evaporating just as it formed. In the middle of the night, a breeze had reached him carrying _her _scent. He'd taken off, telling the others briskly after waking them where he was going. He was too slow, apparently. Sesshoumaru had already left. "Damn it!" he cursed loudly, not caring who heard him.

His eyes scanned the area and found the indentions of where people had slept. He zeroed in on where Kagome had lain and was glad that it was only her scent there. Her scent still carried a faint marking of Sesshoumaru, but at least the bastard hadn't lain beside her.

His nose traced the places Kagome had walked and wrinkled in disgust when he found the spot by the stream where she and Sesshoumaru had been. His ears twitched as he heard the others catching up to him and Inuyasha straightened up from the ground just as they arrived. "Any luck, Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she slid off of Kirara's back.

"They were here. Not long ago," he replied, his eyes still searching the ground for clues.

"Where did they go?"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat when he realized what Sesshoumaru had done once more. Cursing his half-brother with all his might inside his mind, Inuyasha pointed skyward. "He flew...like the cowardly bastard that he is."

Tension and silence hung in the air. For a long while, Inuyasha's gaze stayed trained on the sky above, as if the clouds moving overhead would tell him where Kagome had been taken. Then he turned and looked back at the others. "Go back to Kaede's," he said at last.

"What?" Sango answered. "Why?"

"I'm faster without you."

"I am not about to just walk away from this!" Sango argued. "Kagome means as much to me as she does to you, Inuyasha. I cannot just give up."

Miroku watched the building argument and then placed himself in between the two of them. "Inuyasha is right, Sango."

For his troubles, he received duel looks of disbelief. "What did you say, monk?"

It was Inuyasha who had spoken first, his voice laced with the disbelief showing in his eyes. Miroku turned and faced him. "You are faster without us, Inuyasha. In that, you are correct. However, you are known for acting before thinking and for rushing into situations. Tell me, Inuyasha. What would you do if you met up with Sesshoumaru?"

"I'd take Kagome back!"

"How?"

"In any way possible," Inuyasha answered, the conviction of his voice faltering.

Miroku sighed wearily. "I suggest we all retreat back to Kaede's. Sesshoumaru is not going to hurt Kagome. We know this. She told us herself that she was fine."

"She is not fine!"

Miroku ignored the hanyou's outburst and continued speaking as if Inuyasha had not spoken at all. "There we may rest and repair the damage to our weapons. Seek out new answers for the new questions that have arisen. Time for contemplation is upon us, Inuyasha. Not brash and bold actions. If we wish to have Kagome back, we will first have to outsmart the dog that holds her."

He looked towards Sango, whose body was still tense. Her eyes were contemplating his words, though, and for that he was glad. "You do what you want, monk," Inuyasha said. "I'm going after Kagome!"

Miroku turned back towards the hanyou, intent on stopping him with a quick jab to the head with his staff, but the hanyou suddenly stiffened and slapped his hand over his neck. "What the--" Inuyasha muttered as he looked down at his opened palm. "Myoga! Where have you been, you little coward?!"

The flea slowly inflated himself and then jumped up with a bounce that only a flea youkai could achieve. "Oh, Master Inuyasha! It is so good to see you still alive!"

"Of course I'm alive," Inuyasha said gruffly.

"I was so worried for you, Master Inuyasha!" the flea continued. "Lady Kagome was on her way to help you the last I saw of her and I was not sure if she had managed to make it in time."

At the sound of Kagome's name, the hanyou's ears perked up. "Kagome? You were with her?"

"Yes. Up until Lord Sesshoumaru came upon us. Then I had no choice but to valiantly flee the area."

"You mean you ran away," Miroku added as he walked over to Inuyasha's side.

Myoga's cheeks lit up with a slight blush as his cowardice was once more brought into discussion. Would no one ever see his actions of survival in any other light? "I've been searching for you for days, Master Inuyasha," Myoga said, pointedly ignoring the monk's words about his actions.

Inuyasha trapped the bouncing flea in between two of his claws and held Myoga up to his eye level. "Myoga, do you know where Sesshoumaru is?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" the flea said with an audible gulp. He wanted nothing to do with the daiyoukai; only to ensure himself that his charge was still amongst the living. "I do not know, Master Inuyasha. Is there some reason why you need to find your brother?"

"Half-brother," Inuyasha corrected with a shake of his claws. "That bastard stole Kagome."

"But you knew Kagome was with Sesshoumaru already, did you not, Myoga?" Miroku asked.

"Of course I know!" the flea said indigently. "The Lady Kagome is Lord Sesshoumaru's intended."

"Intended my ass," Inuyasha muttered. "That bastard isn't worthy enough to lick the ground she walks on. You could find him, though, couldn't you, Myoga?"

He did not like the light that was shining in Master Inuyasha's eyes. Nor the perpetual growl that seemed to be in his voice. Yes, Master Inuyasha was not the calmest of hanyous and carried quite a bit of his father's boldness within him, but even this was unusual. He hadn't been aware that Master Inuyasha was so uninformed where the Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshoumaru were concerned. "Master Inuyasha," Myoga said with a sigh. "I think we need to talk."

***


	20. Chapter 20

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Twenty ~

SESSHOUMARU kept them airborne for most of the day, wishing to put distance between them and the cursed hanyou who just wouldn't seem to give up. It wasn't that he feared a meeting with his half-brother. There was nothing to fear where that was concerned. The hanyou was unskilled and no match to him in strength--even with him lacking one arm. He just did not want the miko to become aware of the hanyou right then.

Things were progressing so nicely between them.

More so in tune with her than ever before, Sesshoumaru could tell she was lost in her thoughts. Even if he had not had the benefit of their growing connection, it was clear as day by the look on her face and by the way she moved. She paid attention to Rin and answered Rin's never-ending questions, but her voice sounded different. Off. He could tell, from their interaction this morning, that the miko remembered nothing after he'd shared his blood with her once more. That was troubling, in its own way, but nothing that bothered him overly much.

He landed them for a brief rest at midday and Kagome seemed to wander around as if in a daze. She paid him little attention and Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how he felt about that. He knew her thoughts were not on the half-breed, but that offered him little comfort. He wanted the spicy, witty woman he had come to know to be there with him now and then. But he also understood, or thought he did, what exactly what she was going through. He, himself, had seen such days, but he had not been as greatly affected as it appeared she was.

They flew again until nearly sunset and Kagome went through the motions of helping to set up their camp site for the evening. Sesshoumaru, in a rare show that he hoped would bring Kagome's eyes to him once more, hunted for them. Afterwards, he had Rin show her towards the nearby hot springs. They had camped in this particular place several times in the past and Rin knew the way. The little girl was more than happy to please her Lord and was just as eager to please Kagome, it seemed. As Rin dragged the miko away, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, his ears attuned to the activities of the miko and his ward and his senses open to any and all dangers around them. This was a place he frequented often and so his scent and aura was pressed deeply here. Trouble would never dare to come here, but one could never be too careful. He listened as Rin's excited chatter told him exactly where the two females in his life now were and what they were doing.

When the two were done bathing, they stayed near the hot springs where Kagome sung Rin a song. He did not recognize the lyrics she sang, but the tone was soothing and he listened as Rin faded into her dreams in the miko's arms. As he listened to Rin fall asleep and the miko's song slowly died away, Sesshoumaru finally went in search of them. When he cleared the trees to stand before her, she looked up at him, but some of the luster seemed gone from her gaze and he found it most irritating.

With a look that told the miko to stay, Sesshoumaru took Rin up into his arm with the confident ease of one who had done this thousands of times beforehand and returned to camp. He laid her down by Ah-Un and then returned to where Kagome was still seated. "Walk with me."

She stood, almost obediently, and went to stand by his side. Almost tentatively, her hand reached out and rested on his arm. When he looked down at her in askance, a fine blush covered her face and she began to pull her hand away. Sesshoumaru stopped her with a single word. "Stay."

The miko stopped, a startled expression crossing her face. Then she settled her hand more firmly against him, curling her fingers around his arm. "I can't see," she admitted. "It is too dark."

He nodded his head at her in understanding as relished the feel of her hand upon him. Even through the silk of his clothing, he could feel the heat of her body. Her scent had wrapped itself around him and every breath he took filled his lungs with it. Closing his eyes, he focused on her scent and the sound of her steady heartbeat. His miko was addictive. He could still vividly recall their night together; the way she had felt against him, the way she had tasted on his tongue and responded to his touch. Yes, addictive was the proper word to describe her for he wanted nothing more than to repeat the events once more. "Sesshoumaru?" she said after a minute of their just standing there.

Opening his eyes, he took one last taste of her scent and then began walking forward, keeping his pace slower than normal to accommodate her smaller steps. He kept the silence between them even though he could feel how much she wanted something to fill the void. Then he came to a stop as they reached the glen he'd wanted to show her. It was small and mostly hidden from normal travelers; a simple clearing carpeted with soft grasses and a multitude of flowers that, under the light of the moon, seemed to glow. He heard her gasp of appreciation and felt the pleasure of pleasing her course through his body. "This place is lovely," she said softly from beside him. Her voice was so quiet it almost seemed that the miko believed that if she spoke any louder the scene before her would disappear.

"I thought you would appreciate such a place."

She moved away from him, walking into the midst of the flowers. Her body bent slightly, allowing her fingers to glance across the velvety petals. "I wonder what makes them seem to glow," she said, more to herself than to him. Then she straightened and turned to look at him. "Why did you bring me here?"

He shrugged, not wanting to admit his true reasons for bringing her here. He could tell she did not like his answer, but she looked away, as if in acceptance. Her illusion only lasted a mere moment before she was facing him once more. This time her eyes were flashing with defiance and her fists were balled at her side. "I want to know exactly what happened last night."

He smiled, slightly, but the movement of his mouth was so minuscule she did not see it in the darkness of the night. For that Sesshoumaru was almost grateful. She couldn't see the look in his eyes either as the sight of her inflamed him once more. "Nothing that you did not wish, Kagome," he replied after a moment's pause.

She actually growled at him, reminding him of an angered inu bitch. "That is not an answer."

He took long steps forward until he stood directly in front of her. A light breeze ghosted through the clearing, lifting the silky strands of her hair and brushing them against him. She raised her eyes to look at him defiantly, having to lift her head to such an angle that she was forced to bare her delicious throat to him. Sesshoumaru fought against the need to lay claim to that succulent stretch of exposed flesh and with her scent swimming around him it was becoming difficult to ignore. "Nonetheless, that _is_ the answer."

After a moment, he decided to take into consideration the emotions swirling through his human counterpart. He knew the miko believed he had taken advantage of her person and, as much as an insult to him the very idea of it was, he could feel why she felt that way and knew she needed to know the truth. Oh, he would have her, all of her, but only when she was fully there in mind, body, and soul. She would writhe with pleasure underneath him as she gave of herself to him and she would do so with the full knowledge of what she was doing. She would do so willingly and completely. "If you are wondering if you still claim your innocence, Kagome, be assured that you do. As this one stated, only what was freely offered was taken and sharing yourself with this Sesshoumaru in such a way is not something that will be lightly put from your mind."

He could tell that his arrogance riled her even further and he almost felt like laughing at the fire in her eyes. He loved her spirit, such a rare and beautiful thing to find. And he found himself relieved that she had come back into it so fiercely. "I will never share myself with you, Sesshoumaru," she shot back at him.

He had expected such words from her. Defiant to the end. Were those not his thoughts where she was concerned? And he was never wrong. The miko was strong in spirit and would never easily bend to his will. Amazed that her words did not immediately raise his ire, he was surprised to realize that he was in such a light mood this evening and even more surprised that he craved her defiance. He credited it to the fact that the hanyou was far from their reach now and that Kagome had not thought of the half-breed once that day. He smiled down at her, letting her see his face in the moonlight. "Do you wish to test that? Are you offering me a challenge?" he asked, lowering his voice to a whisper.

He leaned in, inhaling her unique scent that called to him on so many different levels. She took a step away and he countered her movement with a step of his own. "Are you afraid?"

"I fear nothing," she answered.

His smile widened. "Then let us test your resolve, my defiant miko."

***

Myoga shook his tiny head as he listened to the thundering of his Master. Master Inuyasha had not taken what he had said with anything less than complete and utter denial. Then he'd stormed off into the surrounding forest and was, at this moment in time, venting his frustrations out on the surrounding flora and fauna. "Myoga," Miroku said, taking the tiny youkai's attention away from the thundering destruction of Inuyasha.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure there is nothing we can do to restore Kagome by our side? There is nothing that can be done?"

Myoga gave a tiny sigh of irritation. Leave it to humans to be selfish. While he understood the draw Kagome had on both humans and youkais alike and he knew they did not like losing her in such a way, why could they not see the bigger picture? "Have you thought that perhaps the Lady Kagome would be happier and safer with Lord Sesshoumaru?" he asked in return.

The slayer, who had been silent since Inuyasha's departure from their group, shot her eyes back to him. "And have you forgotten exactly who you are talking about, Myoga?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru would never hurt his intended," he insisted.

From the distance came another crash and Inuyasha roared, "She is not his intended!"

Myoga continued as if his Master had never spoken. "They share souls. There is no bond—not even that between a mother and child—which is deeper. When the Lady Kagome feels pain, he feels it as well. Why would Lord Sesshoumaru do anything to cause her harm?"

"He has proven in the past that he will go to any lengths to please himself. No matter the cost to others."

_These humans will never understand_, Myoga thought to himself. He did not voice his thought as Inuyasha swept back into the camp site. "Myoga, you know where that bastard is."

"Master Inuyasha, I do not know," the tiny youkai insisted once again. His Master could be most stubborn when he felt like it—which seemed like always.

"You know, Myoga, and you're covering for him. You want him to take Kagome away from me."

The accusation was both true and ridiculous at the same time. "Master Inuyasha," Myoga began but Miroku held up his hand, stopping him.

"Perhaps, Inuyasha, a retreat is in order."

"Retreat? Retreat?! You're talking about giving up, Miroku, and it ain't happening because I don't think Kagome has ever given up on you. Or you, Sango. And never me. And I'm not about to give up on her!"

"I am not suggesting we give up on her, Inuyasha. There are apparently forces working here beyond our control and, if what Myoga says is true, Kagome is in no danger."

"Have you forgotten that Sesshoumaru's tried to kill her?!"

"No, we have not" Sango added in, tired of being silent. "Have _you_ forgotten who we are talking about? Kagome will not just let herself be taken over, Inuyasha. She is stronger than that. I think it is time we trust in her to make the best decisions. She left with Sesshoumaru of her own will for a reason."

"He probably threatened her. You know Kagome would never do anything to save herself if hurting someone else was involved. That bastard probably said he'd kill all of us if she didn't go with him."

Miroku could not argue with that as those had been his thoughts previously. He still was not entirely sure of what he thought about what Myoga had revealed to them. Apparently the bond between Sesshoumaru and Kagome was progressing rapidly—if the little flea was to be believed—and was nearing completion. Only then could the bond be broken between them, but they had to release each other. Myoga had said such a process, while nearly unheard of, had been done before, but the parties had suffered greatly. Also, apparently, if the two were separated by any great amount of distance before the completion of the bond, they risked madness. Such a soul bond had never been made between a youkai and a human before and so Myoga could not tell them much about what would happen to Kagome if the pair was separated, but he had many details on what would occur with the daiyoukai. And he, for one, did not wish to face an enraged Sesshoumaru. A calm one was bad enough.

Thankfully Sango came to his rescue. She stood, hands hefting her heavy weapon over her shoulder. While Miroku knew Sango did not intend to use her weapon against Inuyasha, the action was one of habit. "Inuyasha, it is time we trusted in Kagome. Nothing we have done so far as done anyone any good."

The hanyou would not see reason. "Fine! You all go and run away. Run away and forget about her then. I will find Kagome on my own."

Before anyone could say another word, Inuyasha was gone.

Sango stayed standing where she was for a long moment after Inuyasha's abrupt departure. Silence reigned over the small encampment until she sat heavily back down and turned to look at Myoga. "Myoga, you said that they will share emotions, correct? If Kagome feels saddened or upset, Sesshoumaru will sense that in her?"

"Yes. On a far deeper level than usual," he felt compelled to add.

"Then perhaps Sesshoumaru will sense Kagome's needs to be with her friends and to see her family? It has been too long since she has been back to her own time. Perhaps that is what we need to wait for."

"A wise observation," Myoga observed, glad that finally one in the council he was speaking to was grasping at an almost plausible idea.

Shippou stirred from where he had been sleeping with Kirara, yawning and stretching. He opened his eyes and looked around, noticing the lack of Inuyasha and the lack of crashing noises from the nearby trees. "Where's Inuyasha?" he asked sleepily.

***

She felt her body react as soon as Sesshoumaru spoke. It was as if his words were coated in honey. They slid across her skin tantalizing her with their sweetness. His eyes, almost eerily glowing in the darkness of the night and reminding her once more of how different they were, had grown heated. His tongue moistened his lips as he leaned into her.

It was instinct that made her reach her hands out in front of her to stop his advance and the heat and warmth of him that kept her hands there. Even through the thickness of his armor, she could feel him. As her hands settled upon him, he closed his eyes and something flitted across his face. She stared up at him. Sesshoumaru had seemed to freeze in place. With his eyes closed, she could easily see the dark stripes of magenta that graced his lids and only added to his appeal by bringing more into light the other markings of his youkai heritage. She had often wondered why, of all the youkais she'd met, only Sesshoumaru had born such markings.

As his eyes slowly opened it was as if the spell he'd been under--and she, too, if she admitted it-- faded and the smile on his lips spread. His hand came up to cover one of her own. "Your touch is most exquisite, miko. Your taste is even more divine."

"T..taste?" she repeated dumbly.

He nodded his head slowly. "This one can still taste you on my tongue, miko. Utterly divine. A nectar unlike any other."

As he spoke, his hand moved down her arm slowly. His claws, deadly weapons in their own right, glanced carefully across her skin showing her the control he exhibited with her. The closer his hand drew towards her body, the more heat that seemed to fill her. A tightness she didn't understand bloomed within her and spread. Her breathing grew short and rapid. Her body wanted his touch while her mind shied away from it.

He seemed to sense her hesitation. His hand stopped its forward movement as it reached her shoulder and settled comfortably into place. "As an inu," he spoke softly, "Much is told to me by my sense of smell and hearing. Humans do not have such a luxury and so they depend more upon their senses of sight and touch. And so tonight, my sweet miko, this one offers you the chance to see and touch me."

Her throat went suspiciously dry as his hand drew away from her body. His mokomoko-sama snaked around her, lightly holding her in place, as he shed his body of his armor. Kagome found she could not look away as the daiyoukai slowly--and she thought he did this deliberately if she judged by the look on his face-- stole away the armor from his body. As the last of it fell away, she prayed to all the Kamis that he kept his clothing on, but knew she wouldn't be able to look away if he did not. Something held her enthralled. The very air seemed to turn against her, the winds picking up and seeming to push her towards him.

He stood immobile before her and somehow she knew that he would not move. Her traitorous feet carried her forward and her hands reached out to settle once more upon his chest. Evenly spaced apart, she marveled at the feeling of his muscles beneath her skin. As in all the other times she had touched him so, she was still surprised to be there, doing as she was. How many could claim such a privilege?

Taking a deep, calming breath to try and control the rapid beat of her heart, Kagome tossed all resignations aside as her hands seemed to move of their own accord across his body. Her fingers dug through the material of his kimono to trace the well defined muscles as the woodsy odor of Sesshoumaru filled her senses. One hand moved upwards to trace his collar bone and broad shoulders while her other traced lower and skirted across his abdomen. As her fingers traced the ridged muscles of his stomach, she could feel the muscles twitch underneath her hand and she smiled to herself. Was the daiyoukai ticklish? Images of rubbing a dog's belly while the animal kicked its leg with glee filled her mind and she couldn't stop the laugh that came out. "What amuses you, miko?" he asked silkily.

Kagome snapped her lips shut and raised her eyes from his body to his face. She could not possibly tell him what she had been thinking. "It is personal," she answered.

He cocked his head slightly to the side, studying her. Kagome could not hold his gaze and turned her head downward. Keeping her hand on his abdomen, she circled him, her fingers dragging lightly across him. A shudder raced up his body and did not go unnoticed by her and she smiled secretly to herself as she now faced the broad expanse of his back.

Taking her hands, she laid them across his shoulder blades and dragged them slowly downward, her thumbs tracing over his spine, to settle on his hips. Unable to deny herself, she leaned into him, resting her body against him and trying to bury her face into the silk of his kimono, and inhaled deeply.

While the daiyoukai may not be moving, his aura was dancing around her, lightly playing with her own. Kagome could feel everything about him. It was as if his heart was beating for her. She'd never experienced such a moment of oneness with someone before and it was a bit unsettling.

He tensed slightly, sensing her growing unease, and turned to face her. Kagome loosened the grip on his waist as he turned and tightened it once more when he was facing her. "I thought you were not going to move."

"I cannot resist looking upon you."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she laughed lightly and then stopped. _Was she flirting with Sesshoumaru?_

Before she could dig more deeply into such thoughts, his hand was upon her face, guiding it upward to look into his own. "Only you, miko," he replied. His voice was smooth, calm and his eyes radiated complete truthfulness and honesty. How he could show such things to her still shocked and scared her. She had finally grown comfortable with the stoic, unfeeling daiyoukai that she had known before and then he went and turned into this.

He made to lean down towards her, but stopped half way. Kagome felt herself move to cover the remaining distance between them, her lips reaching up to his and placing themselves lightly upon his. He did not try and take control of the kiss between them. Instead, he merely seemed to relax into her hold.

Her hand moved up from his waist, keeping in constant contact with his body. Her fingertips feathered across his throat, relishing the feel of his skin beneath her fingers, and moved to lay against his cheek while her other moved to cup the back of his neck, asking him to deepen the kiss.

Actions truly spoke louder, Kagome found, as he complied with her wishes.

All too soon, to her body's way of thinking, the assault of his lips came to a close and he buried his face into the junction of her neck, inhaling deeply. She felt his tongue dart out and lick across her throat and never had such an action seemed so erotic to her before. "Sesshoumaru?"

Her voice had been a whisper, all the strength she had at the moment used to put her words into sound. A human, she knew, would not have been able to hear her speak, but her daiyoukai excelled in such things. "Kagome."

"What...what happens between us when I die?"

It wasn't exactly the most romantic of questions--and she still couldn't believe that she was harboring such ideas--but it was something that had been on her mind. In all the talk of being soul mates and being made to be with one another, never had anyone mentioned what would happen when she died. She was human, after all. Already Sesshoumaru had lived three times her lifespan and was due to live many, many more of them. "Do you foresee yourself dying soon, miko?"

Kagome fought off a shiver as his breath coasted across the skin of her throat and the vibrations of his voice radiated through her. "No," she answered honestly. "But one never knows. And I am human. One day I will die."

He drew away from her, his eyes staring deeply into her own. His clawed hand reached out and wrapped around her wrist, the one bearing his mark, and his thumb rubbed incessantly across it. Each pass sent a jolt of awareness coursing through her body. "The Kamis willing, miko, you will live a long and healthy human lifespan. And when your mortal time comes, this Sesshoumaru, too, will pass on to join you in the next cycle."

Whatever answer she had been expecting that was most definitely not it. Kagome stilled and then tried to draw away from him, forgetting that his mokomoko-sama was coiled around her. It tightened as she moved and drew her back against him, pushing her up against his body. His arm wrapped possessively around her and his hand settled against her head. "You....you mean that when I die, you will, too?"

"Yes," he answered simply. "A soul cannot survive without its entirety. When our bond is complete, we will be one; one soul, one form. How you survived for so long with part of yourself inhabiting another, this Sesshoumaru cannot say. Perhaps because the body that housed the other half of you was, in a sense, yourself. Whatever the case, when your mortal body fails, mine will, as well."

He was speaking of his own death, but with finality and acceptance. She could feel it, deep within herself, that Sesshoumaru accepted this and took it as it was. He would not fight death when it came for him through her. The thought of such was both humbling and...and so much more than she had ever thought would be.

Kagome was once more thrown into the seemingly ever present confusion. She leaned more into his warmth, finding the comfort she needed then in his presence. Her hands once more resting against his chest, she could feel the strong beat of his heart and the steady intake of his breath. This beautiful creature before her, that seemed so invulnerable, would sacrifice everything, even his own life, to be one with her.

_Wow, _was the only thought in her mind.

***


	21. Chapter 21

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Twenty One ~

INUYASHA'S mind was turned inward, thinking of Kagome and what he would do when he found her. He craved her presence, her soothing scent and aura. She was the point of his strength, his one true friend. Never in battle did he fight harder than when she was in danger and he knew it was more than just because he'd given his word to her that he would always protect her. Kagome was so much more. She was the center of their group, the one who held everything together. Was she in danger now? Part of him raged that, yes, she was. His half-brother was not to be trusted. Sesshoumaru had proven on more than one occasion that he would do anything to further his own desires. Another part of him knew that Sesshoumaru would never hurt Kagome—at least not now anyway.

Inuyasha tore through the countryside without stopping all day and well into the night. He wasn't even sure if he was going in the right direction, but that didn't matter at the time. His need to do something where Kagome was concerned was so strong his movements were almost blindly done. Anger and guilt raced through his veins. He should have known something like this would happen. He should have been there to protect Kagome from that bastard. Sesshoumaru should never have been able to get within smelling distance of her!

Right on the heels of his self-incriminations rose the foul thoughts that this was all Kagome's fault in the first place. The damn girl was always getting herself into one mess or another. If she wasn't being kidnapped, she was being attacked. If she wasn't being attacked physically, something was after her spiritually. And if it wasn't that, there was always another thing waiting in the wings to try and take a piece of her. Maybe leaving her with Sesshoumaru for a time would give the bastard a nice taste of what life with Kagome would be like and the bastard would send her back?

He cringed when he realized the direction of his thoughts and came to a skidding stop.

Looking around him to get his bearings, Inuyasha noticed he was in a thick, ancient forest. The trees were taller than most and widely spaced. Wondering where in the hell he was, Inuyasha made to leap up into the nearest tree to investigate his surroundings from a higher vantage point. "I would not step on you, if I moved," said a voice, startling him into stumbling backwards.

"What the hell?!" he shouted out, looking wildly around him but seeing nothing. He couldn't even smell anything besides what normally resided in a forest.

"Startled you, did I?" said the voice again with a short chuckle.

Inuyasha immediately withdrew his sword, transforming the blade and holding it at the ready. He sniffed at the air, but still couldn't smell anything besides trees "Come on out!"

"I am already as out as I can be," the voice answered. "And it is good to see a piece of myself again."

Inuyasha turned towards the direction the voice was coming from now and came face to trunk with a tree. In the center of the trunk was the wizened face of an old man. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded to know, confusion racking his voice.

"You must be Inuyasha," the face said in return. "You carry a great deal of your father with you." The voice sounded almost reminiscent, like Myoga when the flea spoke of his father. "The resemblance in uncanny."

"I'm not gonna ask you again, old man," Inuyasha spat out, raising his sword a little higher. He couldn't sense this youkai. Had no clue as to how powerful—or not—this particular youkai was. The fact that he hadn't been attacked yet made him think that either this youkai wasn't all that powerful or was very complaisant.

"My name is Bokuseno. And cutting down my trees is not a way to make nice with me."

"And why would I want to make nice with you?"

"I can tell you where your brother is."

That stopped Inuyasha short. His grip on his sword faltered and he slowly lowered the blade, transforming it back to its rusty state. "And why would you want to help me?"

The wizened face regarded him for a long while and just as Inuyasha was about to demand an answer, the face spoke. "What would you do if you were to come upon Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"I'd kill the bastard."

"I think not," the face argued. "You could not kill him with the wind scar because your heart did not truly wish to lose your only remaining family. Otherwise Totosai would have taken the Tessaiga from you."

"Sesshoumaru's no family of mine. And this is entirely different," Inuyasha retorted with as fierce a growl as he could muster at the moment.

"Your blood speaks otherwise, hanyou."

"You got a problem with my blood, youkai?" he grumbled, raising his sword once more.

"You are a hanyou. I have called you what you are. It is you who has a problem with your heritage. Now I shall ask you again, hanyou. What would you do if you were to come upon Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"I'll kill the bastard," Inuyasha repeated stubbornly.

"You believe Sesshoumaru has taken something from you, do you? Perhaps you are looking at this in the wrong light?"

He wondered, vaguely, how this youkai knew what was going on. "What are you talking about, old man? How do you know anything about me?"

The old youkai continued talking as if Inuyasha had never interrupted. "Do you fear what Lord Sesshoumaru would do to her? To Kagome? Do you think he wishes your miko friend ill?"

"He has in the past."

"Ah, but is he the same as he was then? And why would he wish his life mate harm?"

At that Inuyasha growled, low and dangerously. "Kagome is not his mate."

"Not yet," the tree conceded. "You have taken much from Sesshoumaru. Can you not give him this? This happiness? It is not as if you will be losing her."

"Happy and Sesshoumaru do not belong in the same sentence!" Inuyasha grounded out. "And what the hell do you mean I've taken so much from that bastard? I never had anything to do with him if I could help it!"

The old youkai rolled his eyes in a most childish display that was not usually shown by youkai. "I am trying to help you, Inuyasha. Try and pay attention."

"You're just begging to be cut down, aren't you?"

"Your brother and you share the same temper. Though Sesshoumaru controls his much better than you."

"Half-brother!"

"Half, whole. Does it truly matter?" The youkai did not wait for an answer and continued speaking instead. "And to answer your earlier question, I knew your father. That sword you try and threaten me with, its sheath came from my very tree. As well as the sheath for Tenseiga. I know much of what goes on, Inuyasha, because I am one with the trees of the land."

Inuyasha slid his sword back into its sheath and crossed his arms over his chest. "And how exactly do you think you can help me, old man?"

***

Kagome stayed leaning up against Sesshoumaru, listening to the beat of his heart and contemplating it stopping. At some point in time, during her silent contemplations, his hand had come up and he was running his long, elegant fingers through her hair. She enjoyed the feeling of those so very deadly claws caressing her in such a gentle manner. His mokomoko-sama had tightened around her, holding her closer to him. Its end flicked softly across her bared skin, so soft and tempting. She wanted to run her own fingers through its length and make it as much a part of her as it was of him. An involuntary shiver raced through her body and she felt as if something were giving inside of her. Something in her desperately wanted to be with this man...this youkai...who stood so silently before her.

Pulling just her head back, she looked up at him. His face was turned from hers, looking up into the night sky. His expression was set in its usual countenance, unreadable. Pushing her aura out, she watched as it encircled him and his own flared out in greeting. The two seemed to dance and yet still her daiyoukai would not look down at her. She recalled what he had said about yin and yang and was amazed to see it before her very own eyes. He was so dark, so everything that she should abhor. They were complete and total opposites but still she could feel herself wanting to embrace him and everything he was. She could feel herself wanting to take all his pain and anger and anguish and make it hers, make it better. "May I ask you a question, Sesshoumaru?" she said at last.

Finally he glanced down at her. Even though his face was set in stone, his eyes were filled with a longing and lust that he could not hide from her. Kagome stopped herself from gasping at the sight of it, but she couldn't stop her body's reactions to him and his nearness. And she could see in his eyes and movements that Sesshoumaru recognized this in her body as well. It gave her faith in him that he did not react upon his obvious arousal. He restrained himself, wanting her both mentally and physically. "Yes, Kagome," he answered her, his voice velvety smooth.

She loved the way her name sounded on his lips. No matter what he called her, she knew she would always lose her own breath where he was concerned. Why, she wasn't sure, but her body enjoyed the feeling and she was tired of fighting herself where this youkai was concerned. "Will you...will you let me speak with my friends?"

Kagome fought the urge to look away from him when she'd asked her question. She had a feeling that Sesshoumaru had been purposefully drawing her away from them, from Inuyasha. But it was important to her that she see them, that she be assured that all was well with them. "I...I need to speak with them. See that they're alright. And it's been ages since I've been home. I'm sure my mother is worried sick about me."

"I cannot allow you to traverse time, miko."

"I didn't figure you'd let me, but Inuyasha can go and let her know everything is okay. Please, Sesshoumaru. Please. I need to do this."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and turned his face back towards the sky. He took in a deep breath and released it slowly. Kagome could feel his muscles tightening underneath her hands. In response to the movements of his body, his mokomoko-sama tightened as well, but not in a painful way. It was almost as if it were trying to keep her from leaving them. "I'm not trying to leave you, Sesshoumaru," Kagome added in a whisper. "But my friends are a part of my life. They're people I care about very much. If you accept me, you accept them, as well. And that includes Inuyasha."

The hand running through her hair stilled and his eyes slowly opened to look at her once more. "Inuyasha..." he breathed while his eyes searched her face. It was as if he were looking for something and Kagome stayed perfectly still while he did so. When he turned his eyes away from her again, she got the feeling that he had found whatever he was looking for and was not upset by it. In fact, she could _feel _something that was akin to relief in his form. "I cannot deny your request, miko," he finally continued. "Tomorrow I will take you to the village where you may fetch whatever you need and speak with your friends."

She smiled up at him, letting all the joy she felt show in her eyes and in the way her hands wrapped around his torso and squeezed. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

"If they try to keep you from me, miko," he warned. "This Sesshoumaru will not show the restraint he did before. I will kill them all and you will still be mine."

The threat of her friends' demise at the hands of this daiyoukai did not send a rush of fear through her, as she had expected such a thing to do. In the past that might have been the case, but much had happened in such a short period of time. Her entire world had been turned upside down after almost seeming normal once more. She did not hear the threat of his words. What she heard was that he would do anything to keep her by his side. He would face anything and anyone, defeat them all, to claim her as his own. To a young girl tossed about a world five hundred years into her past, it was a heady feeling. Especially when it came to being claimed by such a powerful being. And there was no doubt in her that Sesshoumaru was the most powerful youkai in existence. Sometimes, when she thought on it, she was surprised she was she still alive. Then again, maybe his subconscious knew who she was to him and kept her alive against his attacks for that very reason?

Knowing he was still watching her and waiting for a response, Kagome merely nodded her head in understanding. He seemed to accept this action as he swept her up with his one arm and his mokomoko-sama, holding her gently yet firmly against him. Kagome yawned, suddenly feeling the weight and length of the day come crashing down upon her. She rested her head against his shoulder as he walked them back to the encampment. "What about your armor?" she asked, fighting through another yawn.

"I will return for it once you are secure, miko."

"I believe I already am," she replied as she closed her eyes.

***

"You are lost, Inuyasha, son of Inu no Tashio."

"I ain't lost!" Inuyasha protested.

"You are lost," the tree insisted. "Lost in a world that you believe offers no place for you. In your fear of being alone you cling to the one who has brought to your attention that you are not alone here."

"What the hell do you think you're talkin' about, old man?"

"An 'old man' I am, hanyou. You would do well to listen to me. For well over two thousand years have I lived and watched. You would do well to listen and learn from me. And on this I add that you must release the young miko you so desperately cling to. It is the only way to make yourself truly whole."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Kagome doesn't hold me back...ever."

"No, the young miko does not. She encourages you to be who you should be. She is your strength in battle. You do not fight your enemies as strongly as you do when the miko is there. That is where you are lost. You must learn to live without her. She has served her purpose in your life. She has brought you onto the path you must walk; the path you were afraid to walk before, hanyou."

Inuyasha withdrew his sword once more. His emotions, coursing through his veins, willed it to transform into the giant fang of his father. "Let's get some things straight right now, youkai," he challenged. "I ain't afraid of nothing and I will _never _leave Kagome in the hands of that bastard! Sesshoumaru doesn't deserve her!!"

"Perhaps she deserves him, hanyou."

"What?" His utter confusion on the matter transformed the sword back into its original state.

"Perhaps the miko deserves Lord Sesshoumaru, hanyou," Bokuseno repeated. "You have admitted that you have no desire to know your brother. There is much to him that you are not aware of."

"The bastard doesn't want anything to do with me," Inuyasha shot back. "He'd rather I'm dead."

"And yet he ceased his quest for the Tessaiga when he learned that it contained your youkai blood. He has come to your aid on several occasions, as well."

"Only for his own purposes and I didn't need his help."

"Inuyasha, listen to me!" Bokuseno demanded, his voice sounding harsh like the rough bark of the tree he was speaking from. "The young miko, Kagome, is destined to be with Lord Sesshoumaru. This is the will of the Kamis and you cannot stop it. Only he may bring her eternal happiness, but she must accept him as he has accepted her. She cannot do so while her heart is still tied to you. She will dwell in eternal torment as long as you force her to be divided."

"That bastard is not going to be keeping _my _Kagome!"

"She is her own soul, hanyou. Surely you have listened to her tell you that before. Already Lord Sesshoumaru has accepted her and taken her mortality upon himself."

"What are you talkin' about now!?"

"When the mortal miko passes from this world, Lord Sesshoumaru will follow her. He has given his heart and soul to the miko already and awaits her to do the same. If she does not, he will die all the same; tied to the miko as he has become. He will be driven into a state of madness and will remain there until death."

"The bastard can die any time now for all I care," Inuyasha spat out. "All I care about is Kagome."

"And you would sentence her to an incomplete life in this one and all that follow just keep her by your side for a few decades, hanyou? Just to look at her face each day you would be willing to do to that to this miko you profess to love so much? You would force upon her the guilt of causing harm intentionally?"

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull and rage grew in his eyes. "No one accuses me of ever hurting, Kagome!"

"And yet you are, hanyou. Accept what has become and allow her the true freedom of choice."

"I love her. I can't just let her go."

"You have served your purpose, hanyou. You have protected her until her true mate could find he had the heart necessary to claim her. You may continue on with your own journeys. This path of your life is closed. Now you face a choice; the last one you should make where the miko and Lord Sesshoumaru are concerned. You can choose if this part of your life journey remains entwined with your own or if it vanishes from your sight forever."

Inuyasha turned away from the old man, fighting against the urge to lash out at him. Knowing he could not strike out with his sword, he sheathed the blade, gripping its handle, as he had so often in the past, for strength. His head hung downward for a minute and then he jumped off into the darkness of the night, leaving Bokuseno behind.

He ran blindly. In his mind the tree youkai's words circled and he thought back over the years since he'd been freed by Kagome. It was true that he fought all more fiercely when she was there. Her presence was soothing to him and he wanted her safe at all costs. She was always the one to come to him when he was in pain or troubled. She was always the one reminding him that there was no shame in being who he was. She was the one who erased the decades of pain and the frustrations that built up. _Kagome,_ he thought. _I love you._

But was it the true love he sought? Did he even understand what true love was? His mother had died when he was still so young and with he and Kikyou... No, he didn't want to think about Kikyou right now. Kagome needed him. He could feel it. She needed him and he wasn't there to save her; to tell her everything was alright. He wasn't there for her, but Sesshoumaru was.

Was he lost? Was there a path he was suppose to be walking that he'd been diverted from because of Kagome? Yeah, he wouldn't have been freed from that tree if it wasn't for her. He never would have learned about the treachery of Naraku if it wasn't for her. But still...

Doubts chasing around his mind because of the words of Bokuseno, Inuyasha continued his blind run. He ignored the branches that tried to cling to him and sought only the solace of his own mind and heart; something he hadn't done since Kikyou had been resurrected. Was he the leader that he professed to be or was he merely a follower of a greater scheme? And if Kagome wanted to stay with Sesshoumaru, could he bear to still be a part of her life?

***


	22. Chapter 22

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Twenty Two ~

THEY left early the next morning. Rin and Jaken remained behind and she and Sesshoumaru set off on foot. Why they were walking Kagome could not say as always before, when a great distance needed to be covered, Sesshoumaru had flown. She contemplated asking him, but then disregarded her own thoughts. He might view her question in the wrong light and walking would give her time to think on what she would tell the others when she saw them again, on what she would say to Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru stopped for her at midday and allowed her time to rest and refresh herself. The entire time he remained silent, seeming content to just watch her. For one of the first times since coming into this daiyoukai's presence, Kagome was content with that, as well. The feeling of his eyes following her movements brought her a sense of peace and safety. She knew he would never let anything happen to her, was always on the alert where she was concerned. As he considered her his, he would defend her with everything he was to keep her safe. Much as Inuyasha had always done.

As thoughts of her hanyou friend invaded her mind and worry over what she would say and do when she saw him again filled her, Sesshoumaru stood from where he had seated himself. "Miko," he said, his voice bordering on sharpness. "It is time we depart. There is much ground to cover."

She knew he was aware of the fact that she had been thinking of Inuyasha and almost secretly smiled over his obvious jealousy. He didn't like her thinking of his half-brother, but she had to make him accept Inuyasha as she would never willingly abandon him. She had promised to remain with him. And she would—one way or another.

Since he had opened up the discussion on distance, Kagome felt safe asking the question that had been burning her lips since they departed that morning. "How far is it?"

He walked ahead of her, his stride shortened to match her own, and remained silent. Kagome knew he'd heard her and knew he would reply...in his own time. Such were his ways and, if she was truly to spend any amount of time with him, she would have to accept him as he would have to accept her. "We are several days travel," he finally answered.

A feeling of upset came over her. Several days? She would have to think over the upcoming events for several days?! Already Kagome pictured restless nights ahead of her and she couldn't stop herself from suggesting that they take another means of travel. When she suggested suck, Sesshoumaru came to a stop ahead of her. He turned his head slightly, his eyes landing on her and staying there for several minutes. A slight upwards curve came to his lips, almost a smile but not quite. "Do you enjoy being close to this one, miko? Is that why you wish to travel so?"

He did not wait for her answer and Kagome was glad for that. She didn't know how to answer that. His eyes turned from her and he continued walking on. Kagome realized she was being left behind and hurried to catch up. When she had, he continued. "We are walking, miko, because I wish to spend more time alone with you."

Well that idea hadn't occurred to her! "Why?"

When Sesshoumaru did not answer her, Kagome felt the expectation in the air to explain herself. "I mean, I know that it's a retarded question, but I want to know."

His head cocked to the side at her wording and Kagome could easily picture the look in his eyes as he contemplated her modern language. "You phrase yourself in the strangest of ways, miko," he said in response.

"I can't help myself," Kagome said in defense of herself. She knew Sesshoumaru wasn't insulting her, but she was so use to defending her wording and actions in these backward times. "I am a product of my time."

"Yes, your time... Tell me more about your time, miko. Tell me of your family and where you live. I am curious and it will help ease the torment you place upon yourself."

She was grateful to have something else to occupy her mind with and eagerly began speaking of her family. Of course, talking about them only made her miss them all the more. "Well, I live in a shrine with my mother and brother and my grandfather. My brother, Souta, is younger than me, but a good kid. He loves soccer and practically hero worships Inuyasha. My mom makes the best oden in the world and my grandfather is a little on the crazy side. Believing demons hide around every corner and all."

At that, Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder at her, a smirk on his face. Kagome ignored his look and continued. "He's always telling me the history of artifacts and what powers they have, but they don't really have any. And every time I come back here, he makes me take a bunch of his ofudas, but they don't work. I humor him because I love him and know he's only doing this because he wants me safe."

"And what of your father?"

"My father died...a long time ago," she answered softly. "But I don't really want to talk about that, if you don't mind."

His answer was a graceful shrug of his shoulders and relief filled through her. She barely remembered her father, but her mother kept him alive with stories. Over time Kagome had viewed her father as something private, something not discussed outside of her immediate family, and she liked it that way. "When I'm home, I go to school and I have friends there. They mean well, but they really have no idea what my life is really like."

"And why not?"

"Because time travel through a well five hundred years into the past is improbable."

"And yet you do so."

"I do, but that doesn't mean that I go around shouting about it. I'd be the freak of the week, if I did."

"From your tone of voice, I take it that this 'freak of the week' is not a favorable labeling?"

"Hardly," Kagome huffed, caught up in the moment. "I'd more than likely end up wrapped tight in a straight jacket and sent to an asylum for the insane."

"And what is a straight jacket?"

Kagome spent the rest of the day, as they walked, talking about her home, her time, her family. By the time Sesshoumaru came to a stop for the evening, for her sake she knew, she was completely at ease and hadn't thought of the upcoming confrontation once. There was a little light left when they stopped and Kagome used that time wisely to start herself a fire. Thanks to Rin she had learned how to easily start one without the use of her matches—but that didn't mean she wouldn't be grateful to have them back. Once the fire was started, Kagome sat down before it, the chill of the evening being chased away. Sesshoumaru was seated a few feet away.

She stood from where she'd been seated by the fire, turning towards him. In the space of a heartbeat, he was before her. His fingers were placed lightly against her chin, lifting her face upwards. And then he was leaning forward. When Kagome expected him to press his lips against her own, when she longed for such contact, she found herself denied. He rubbed his cheek against her own, repeatedly. It was as if he craved such skin-to-skin contact with her and was pressing himself upon her. "Sesshoumaru?" she said at last.

"Yes, Kagome?"

He'd stilled. His face was resting against her own, his skin hot against hers. She could feel his breath fanning across her skin and could feel his heartbeat where her palm had, on its own, come up and pressed against him. "I don't understand what I'm feeling," she found herself admitting. "And it scares me. I've always known and understood what was going on...with me, at least." At that she gave a laugh. In the last few years of her life, what happened within herself was the only thing she felt she had a true grasp on. "That was always my safety line. My link to reality."

Even though he didn't understand her terminology, Sesshoumaru understood what she was trying to say to him. After listening to her talk all afternoon and questioning her on phrases he didn't fully grasp, he had a better understanding of what she was saying. The miko was feeling lost right now. She wanted to be where she was, but, then again, she didn't and she did not understand the whys or hows. And, if she actually did understand the whys and hows of whatever was plaguing her at the moment, she was having trouble believing in what was true. This vulnerability of hers was a weakness and displayed her human side so well, but he wouldn't change her for anything in the world. A hefty realization, in all actuality. As much as he'd accepted her and accepted all that came with her, he'd yet to fully accept her humanity. In his mind he knew he would depart this world when she passed, but he didn't see that as in a matter of decades. He was still looking into the future with centuries in mind. The full acceptance of such almost stunned him and had him shaking inside. "This Sesshoumaru understands, miko," he said softly as he gathered her into his hold.

He carried her back over to where he had previously been seated. Sitting back down, he arranged her suddenly maneuverable form into a more comfortable position. Her head leaned against his chest, her ear pressed over his heart. She took in a deep breath and stilled. Her words were halted, as if she wasn't sure of what she spoke of or if she was afraid of her own voice. "I love the sound of your heart beat. So strong. So sure. But I'm afraid of it, as well."

Sesshoumaru stilled himself, silently prodding the miko to continue with her thoughts. He knew she needed to speak of these things aloud. Whether or not he commented upon her thoughts, she would find the answers she sought after voicing herself. Such was her way.

"Yes," she said after a moment's pause. "You've always seemed so eternal and now I find that you are not. And I am to blame."

_Ah. Human guilt_. "I blame you for nothing, miko," he answered her softly. "I take what you offer willingly and entirely."

"But you are not meant to die a mortal death," she insisted.

"Perhaps not," he agreed. "But it is something I will take where you are concerned, Kagome."

He almost silenced himself, but he could still feel the turmoil of the miko's emotions beating at him. She needed more and she needed to hear what his actions had already told her. "This Sesshoumaru," he continued, keeping his tone soft and soothing, "Has come a long way since taking you. I came with one view point, one goal. And yet, I found myself changing where you were concerned. I found myself having regret where my words were concerned. And this one has never felt regret before."

As if she understood the magnitude of what was happening, Kagome's hand came up and caressed his face. Her fingers were soft upon him but the weight of them was intense. He'd never thought, ever, to feel such a touch, such a mortal touch, upon his person. Not even Rin touched him so. And yet he welcomed her, he wanted her, he needed her. It amazed him how much this need had grown within him. "You should sleep, miko," he said, his voice whisper soft. "We have much travel to do on the morrow."

Before the words were even gone from his lips, the young miko curled up in his lap was asleep. Her hand was stalled in mid caress upon his face and Sesshoumaru found himself reluctant to remove her fingers from him. He recalled the words he'd said to her not long ago, about how he would lay with her and yet allow another to birth his heir. A shudder of revulsion directed at himself raced through his body. After feeling such with this young woman, how could he bare to turn to another? The answer was simple. He could not.

***

Kagome came back to wakefulness in a most delicious position. She was comfortably encased within a warmth she had not felt since last being home, in her own bed. There was a steady heart beat pumping dutifully into her ear and the feeling of a steady breath being drawn around her. Reluctantly she opened her eyes but did not move her head to look at the daiyoukai she knew she would find. "You are awake," he commented.

"Yes."

"Good. You have slept late and we have lost time."

The age old guilt that she normally felt surfaced but a swipe of his fingers across her back lifted it and washed it away. "Prepare yourself, miko," he instructed. "I shall hunt you something to eat."

Kagome extracted herself from Sesshoumaru and immediately found herself missing the heat of his body. She watched as he walked off into the surrounding trees but knew right away that he would not traverse beyond hearing and reaching distance of her. Content with the situation, she busied herself washing at the nearby stream and stoking the dead fire back to life. It wasn't long before Sesshoumaru returned with rabbits in hand. This time they were already skinned and ready to be cooked. "Thank you," she said as she took them from him.

"Why do you thank me?"

"Because you don't normally do this for someone and I'm grateful," she answered easily.

Sesshoumaru fell silent and seemed content to merely watch her. When she was finished cooking and eating the offered meat, she doused the fire and turned to him. She was prepared to continue walking when he engulfed her in his arms. Kagome managed to look up at him, her questions obvious in her eyes, before they took to the skies moving at a speed she could not recognize. When they finally slowed she looked around her and found herself recognizing their surroundings. "We're here," she breathed as they settled lightly back upon the ground.

The miko had yet to release her hold upon him and he found himself not caring that she still clung to him. It was as if she needed his strength. And he found himself more than willing to share. "I thought you would do well to have this over and done with."

"And what of wanting to spend time with me? Did I bore you that much?" Kagome asked, trying to lighten her suddenly heavy mood. She'd always found comfort in humor and this situation was no different.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her, his eyes intensely serious. His clawed hand came up, fingers brushing softly down the side of her face. "You are an oddity, a mystery longing to be unraveled. There are many sides to you that I have yet to meet and I long to do so, Kagome. But I would rather do so when your heart is not so heavily weighed down with worry."

She released a pent up breath and nodded her head in understanding. Then she turned and faced the familiar path to her home away from home.

***

Shippou was playing with Kirara when a familiar scent caught his young nose. He stilled instantly, his ears and nose alert for another sign that he wasn't imagining things. Then a breeze brought him that scent again and his cry split the air. "Kagome!"

The sound of his outcry brought Miroku and Sango out of Kaede's, but Shippou was already racing off into the direction of the scent. It was getting stronger which meant that Kagome was coming his way and her scent was clean and pure so Shippou knew she wasn't frightened or injured. He could smell Sesshoumaru, too, but wasn't concerned about that. For once in his young life, he wasn't going to let his fears bother him and he was going to get to Kagome.

When he crested the hill that led to her scent, he skidded to a stop when he saw Kagome standing in the arms of the daiyoukai. She turned at the sound of his arrival, her face lit up with joy at seeing him, and then she turned and looked to Sesshoumaru. The daiyoukai gave her a nod and then spoke to her in tones too low for him to overhear. When he was done speaking, he stepped lightly away from Kagome, turned, and departed.

Not wasting a second he was given, Shippou scurried down the hillside as fast as his feet would carry him and pounced into Kagome's arms. She caught him easily, use to his advances, and hugged him close. "Shippou," she whispered. "It's so good to see you again."

Unable to speak at the moment, Shippou wrapped his smaller arms around her and squeezed with all he was. Right about then Sango and Miroku topped the hillside, their faces showing their obvious surprise at seeing her. "Hey, guys," she said, looking up at them. Then her eyes darted around. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"He is off looking for you," Sango said as she approached, her eyes looking around for any traps or dangers. Where was Sesshoumaru?

As if Kagome knew what her friends were thinking, she gave them a half-hearted smile. "He's still here," she said, answering their unspoken thoughts. "He's allowed me to come here and speak with you and to get my bag."

"Lady Kagome," Miroku said as he approached. Kagome noticed that the monk stayed well away from her and she wondered if Sesshoumaru's presence caused him to reign in his perverted tendencies. Yes, he normally chose to grope Sango, but she was still considered fair game, too, where his lecherous hands were concerned. "We are glad to see you healthy and whole."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, her confusion apparent in her voice. "Sesshoumaru wouldn't hurt me."

Without warning, Sango engulfed her in a nearly bone crushing hug, squishing Shippou in between them. She didn't relent her nearly desperate hold even when Shippou began squirming for release in earnest. "Oh, Kagome," Sango breathed. "I have been so worried about you."

"I'm okay," Kagome assured her. "I'm just glad that you're okay. I was so worried."

"We are fairing as well as can be expected," Miroku added. "Can you come to Kaede's?"

Kagome nodded her head yes and Sango regretfully released her hold upon her. Then they turned and began walking back towards the village, a path Kagome had traveled thousands of times. This time felt different though. Already she felt a part from those who were there and she shook the feeling away from herself as she began following the others back to their usual haunt. As she crested the hillside, she looked back over her shoulder to where she _knew _Sesshoumaru lurked, watching her. Her eyes connected with his even though her human eyesight could not tell that she was. She knew they were looking at one another and that was enough.

Giving him a slight nod of her head, she turned back to her friends and continued to follow after them.

***

Inuyasha finally forced himself to come to a stop. He was already almost back to the village, his body acting instinctively, going to where he felt safe and at home. His gaze turned up to the sun, rising steadily higher in the sky, and he fought back the desire rising within him to cry. That was such a human emotion and, even though he was half human, he'd always fought his human tendencies. If what the tree youkai had said was true, he'd lost Kagome the instant Sesshoumaru had taken her.

But, according to the tree youkai, he didn't have to lose her entirely. He could still have Kagome in his life. He could still feel the brush of her fingers against him, the feel of her aura swirling around him, the sound of her voice in his ears. He could still be sat by her—even though that option would definitely be a relief to be rid of. He could still be who he was with her—if he could make the correct decision.

But first things first, he needed to know that Kagome was safe; that she was well cared for and loved the way she deserved to be loved. And that meant finding his bastard of a half-brother and confronting him outright. And if Sesshoumaru dared to give him any answers that were less than satisfactory, he would throw whatever future he and Kagome had to the winds to see that, that bastard understood _exactly_ what it was he was getting and _exactly_ how he should treat that gift.

As if, for once the Kamis were on his side, Inuyasha sensed Sesshoumaru closing in on his location. Smiling to himself, he tightened his grip on his sword and his body tensed, readying itself.

***

It felt odd to be among her friends once more. It hadn't been that long ago that she had been among them and felt as if she belonged. Now…it was as if everything had changed. And she knew it wasn't them. It was her. As cheap and meaningless as it sounded to her twenty-first century mind, it _was _her and not them. To her, they watched her differently. It was as if they expected her head to turn around on her shoulders and spit out a bunch of pea green soup. The silence was almost deafening. Even Kaede seemed to be walking on egg shells around her. Finally Kagome had had enough of the change. "What?" she said as she sat down heavily before the fire pit in Kaede's home. "I haven't grown another head or anything!"

Sango sighed wearily. "It is just us, Kagome," she excused. "You have been gone with Sesshoumaru for so long. We are not sure of what to expect."

"I haven't changed!" Kagome argued, not sure of exactly what they were expecting her to be like when she saw them again.

"It is not you," Miroku added. "It is us."

"Now _that _just sounds like a cheap break-up line, Miroku," Kagome returned, thinking to herself that Miroku was only mirroring her own thoughts but in reverse.

Miroku gave her an odd look and a laugh at that. For an instant, it felt as if nothing had ever happened. She and Miroku had had many conversations in the past about twenty-first century relationships and Kagome knew what he'd take her meaning as. "Tell us," he said in response to her, "What has been happening, Lady Kagome? Neither I nor Sango were conscious when last we saw each other. Inuyasha was of little help and Shippou has told us what he could."

At the mentioning of his name, Shippou snuggled tighter into her embrace. As much as the little kit was ready to be 'big', he was still so much a child in youkai terms. "I did as you told me to, Kagome," he said, his large eyes staring up at her. "I took care of them all for you."

Kagome ran her hands down Shippou's sturdy back in the same manner her mother had often done for her when offering comfort. "I knew you would, Shippou," she told the kitsune. "I had complete faith in you."

Shippou settled once more against her, content to bury his nose into her chest and inhale her scent. Despite the fact that her scent was heavily laced with that of Sesshoumaru's, she was still Kagome.

Once the kitsune was settled again, Kagome turned her attention back towards her other three friends. She'd noticed almost immediately Kirara's separation from her and that had hurt. Why the fire neko was keeping a distance from her she wasn't sure, but she thought that it might have something to do with the part of Sesshoumaru that she carried within her now. Even though she tried to not think upon it, she could still feel the _sense _of him within her, within her spirit. He wasn't here with her, but she knew that he was nearby. She could feel him. She could tell that he was waiting for her and there was a new resolve within him. The daiyoukai had claimed her and her unconscious had given in and taken him within herself. Now she had to deal with accepting that and stop fighting against herself.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Kagome began telling her friends everything she could think of from the moment she had disappeared from their sides. She told them of Kikyou and what Kikyou had done for her. She told them of regaining her full soul once more and of what Myoga had told her. At the mentioning of the flea, her friends' eyes lit up and Kagome looked around her. "If he's here, I've a bone to pick with him," she grounded out, her eyes searching for the little youkai.

"He disappeared some time ago," Miroku answered, a knowing smile on his face. "Perhaps he felt Sesshoumaru coming before we and left to spare his life?"

Kagome remembered what Myoga had told her about Sesshoumaru and other males being around her and she had to laugh at that. She could just picture in her mind Sesshoumaru trying to slay the little flea for touching her and, for some reason, the picture her mind created was hilarious. When her laughter only earned her more surprised looks, Kagome quickly gained control of herself. "And do you know where Inuyasha is? I know you said he went in search of me, but do you know where. I really wanted to speak with him."

"We do not know where he is," Sango answered, "And we planned on waiting here for his return."

Kagome groaned to herself. Why wasn't everything working out the way she wanted it to? Why did nothing ever seem to go her way? Why was this being dragged out and made harder than it should have been?

Then her eyes settled over in the corner of Kaede's hut and her eyes lit up once more. There was her backpack, looking just as she had last seen it. Relief flowed through her and she smiled. _Oh, to have a proper bath with shampoo and conditioner and soap!_

Smiling to herself, she knew exactly what she needed to do. While this conversation with everyone around was hard to do, it had never been hard for her to speak with Sango one-on-one. They were like sisters. Kagome turned towards Sango. "Sango, would you like to take a bath with me?"

Sango caught on quick enough and was standing, Kagome's bag in hand, an instant later. She turned to Kirara. "Kirara, keep Miroku in line for us?"

Kirara let out a meow of understanding. The two girls stood, giggling like old times with each other, while Miroku put on a front of being insulted and hurt. "You, too, Shippou," Kagome added when the kitsune looked as if he were going to follow them. As much as Kagome loved Shippou, some things were just easier said girl to girl.

Shippou straightened himself, casting a very male look towards the monk as he did. He nodded his head, holding it high with pride. "You can always count on me, Kagome."

***

Sesshoumaru watched as the miko was greeted by her companions. His eyes narrowed as they embraced the miko and began questioning her immediately. He could feel the tension radiating off of her person, but knew she would not welcome being swept away once more before being able to speak with them.

As they began walking with her back towards the village, she'd stopped at the top of the hill and looked back towards him, her eyes unerringly finding where he stood guard. The look she gave him was one of being grateful. She was thanking him for this opportunity and for not leaving her—as if he could bear to do so. It surprised him, still, how much she trusted and yet doubted within the same breath.

When the miko was out of his line of sight, Sesshoumaru turned and faced the winds. Letting his instincts, his innate skills, guide him, Sesshoumaru found his half-brother easily. Inuyasha was not within the village. He knew that as soon as he brought the miko within miles of it. For some reason, his half-brother was by himself, alone. Inuyasha was near enough to the miko's location, though, that Sesshoumaru could go to him and still remain within a safe distance of her. If the miko fell into a position that was dangerous to her, their bond would let him know and he could be by her side in the blink of an eye. Still... There were things that needed to be settled here and Sesshoumaru knew Inuyasha lay at the heart of them.

He came upon the half-breed standing in the middle of a large clearing, seemingly lost in thought. He scoffed at the hanyou's inability to sense danger, but Inuyasha turned towards him a second later, a gleam in his eye. "Sesshoumaru," he growled, his stance battle ready.

Well, perhaps the hanyou was not entirely senseless. "Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said as he took a step forward, his hand resting on the hilt of Toukijin. The miko would be less than pleased with him if he killed the half-breed before she had a chance to say her peace to him. This he knew and this he respected. Why? He could not outright say—or perhaps he would not admit to himself the reasons. Whatever the whys and hows were, Sesshoumaru stayed his hand from the immediate violence it wished to inflict upon his half-brother. Centuries of hatred were hard to let go of, but he would be willing to try and be at least civil where his half-brother was concerned for the sake of his soon to be mate.

"What are you doing here, bastard?" Inuyasha asked, his nose obviously scenting the air. "I don't smell Kagome around here. Have you lost her?"

Sesshoumaru smirked at the half-breed's attempt to rile him. Still, the boy was learning...finally. He ignored Inuyasha's attempt. "You and I have unfinished business, brother," he said in return.

Inuyasha stilled, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening "Unfinished business, eh?" he said with a laugh. "Is this where you kill me, Sesshoumaru? Kagome's not around, so she'll never notice I'm gone?"

"As tempting as the thought is, half-breed," Sesshoumaru snarled in return. "No."

At that, Inuyasha laughed loudly and withdrew his sword, transforming the blade with his energies. Instantly, Sesshoumaru met the half-breed's implied threat by withdrawing his own sword. "Talk is cheap, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha spat back at him, his voice full of passion and anger. "Wind scar!"

***


	23. Chapter 23

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Twenty Three ~

SESSHOUMARU easily moved out of the way of his half-brother's strike. The wind scar shot across the landscape, decimating all that lay in its way and finally settling down. Turning his golden eyes towards Inuyasha, he stared silently for a moment before letting a smirk grace his lips. Inuyasha was so easy to read. "Is something troubling you, Inuyasha?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha growled back. "Where's Kagome?"

"That is none of your concern, half-breed."

"Kagome is always my concern. I swore to protect her from the likes of you."

"Yet another addition to your long list of failures then."

With another growl, Inuyasha shot forward. His sword was raised and Sesshoumaru easily blocked it. Then the half-breed swiped out with his free hand, very nearly catching him across his midsection. Yes, his armor would protect him, but the fact that the half-breed had nearly gotten him told Sesshoumaru all he needed to know about his own mental stability where this confrontation was concerned. The only times, in the past, that Inuyasha had laid a claw on him had been when he had been more focused on something else or overconfident in his own abilities. Which was it now? Probably the first of his options, but surely another prodding of the half-breed would give him the answer he sought. "Slow as ever, little brother. You will never be as good as me."

"No. I'm already better," Inuyasha shot back.

A forceful push, backed with a considerable amount of his youki, sent Inuyasha flying backwards. His half-brother quickly regained his footing, raising his sword once more and letting out a harsh laugh. "So you know it's true then, huh, bastard?"

Sesshoumaru let a moment of silence pass between them before he decided to speak. "What nonsense are you speaking of now, Inuyasha?"

Now it was Inuyasha who smirked confidently at his older brother now. "Are you that retarded, Sesshoumaru?" he asked, taking an expression he'd heard Souta use on more than one occasion.

Sesshoumaru scowled at his brother. He did not understand what phrase the half-breed used, but he recalled Kagome saying much the same thing and that her usage of it had not been complimentary. Besides, nothing from the half-breed's mouth was ever good or respectful. "You will watch your tongue."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Inuyasha said with another harsh laugh. "That's why you're here, right? You've come to kill me while Kagome isn't around. Figured she wouldn't miss me? Wouldn't care about some worthless half-breed?"

Sesshoumaru straightened slightly. The movement was so slight someone else might not have noticed it, but Inuyasha did. He'd been studying his brother's movements in battle for years, always looking for any opening there may be. This was, in fact, the first time he'd noticed one. "I will not kill you, half-breed," Sesshoumaru replied, knowing he was repeating himself but not giving a damn at the moment. "But I can make you wish you were dead."

"You've already done that a thousand times over, Sesshoumaru. Give me your worst. I can take it. Now where's Kagome?"

Toukijin flashed in the sunlight as Sesshoumaru adjusted his grip on the evil blade, but his half-brother made no movement to attack. Something was holding Sesshoumaru back from his normal routine where he was concerned and Inuyasha wondered, again, if what he'd decided to do was the right steps to take. "What's the matter, Sesshoumaru?" he taunted. "Cat got your tongue?"

"It is pointless to converse with the inane."

"Ouch!" Inuyasha said with obvious false hurt. "Your wit is slacking today, Fluffy."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he fought against the urge to slice the half-breed to ribbons. It could easily be done. Inuyasha was far below him in skill, but that was to be expected as the half-breed lacked any formal training and was centuries younger than he. But killing him was not what Sesshoumaru wanted today. Now what exactly he was seeking, he was not quite sure of yet and it was taking most of his concentration to stop his natural instincts from taking over where a rival male was concerned. He was alpha. None were above him! "You walk a fine line, half-breed."

"I've never walked any one's lines. Always been on my own and made my own way."

_Yes, he had_, Sesshoumaru silently agreed. Inuyasha had come far since the last time Sesshoumaru had seen him before this debacle for the Shikon jewel had started. Despite being foolish enough to get himself pinned to a tree for fifty years, the half-breed had shown remarkable strength in battle in the recent years. Even though he only held half of their great and terrible father's blood, Inuyasha had more than proven himself time and time again. He deserved some manner of respect for that, but Sesshoumaru was always a perfectionist and he would see perfection in his younger brother. And this was especially true as they were the last of their bloodline.

Inuyasha had slowly been circling him, tightening the circle they walked. For once, the half-breed was not running blindly forward and Sesshoumaru wondered if, in fact, Inuyasha had finally learned to control his urges to strike and was looking for an opportune moment. Deciding to test this, to see if in fact it was true, he locked eyes with the half-breed. "This one was told that the first time you met Kagome you tried to kill her."

At the mentioning of the miko, the half-breed's heart rate increased, giving away his feelings for the girl, and Sesshoumaru fought a battle between feeling a strange mix of jealousy and feelings of victory. "You did, too!" Inuyasha shot back, sounding almost childish.

Inwardly, Sesshoumaru smiled wickedly to himself. He had Inuyasha now and would see what his little brother would do. "So this one did," he said back, his voice perfectly calm. "And it appears that the harder one tries to kill the miko, the closer to her they get."

Inuyasha roared at the implied innuendo. "You have no right to speak so of Kagome!"

"I have every right, half-breed. The bitch is mine."

That set his little brother off, as he knew it would, and Inuyasha charged forward once more. Their swords met with a brilliant clash, both of their youkis flaring up around them. Sesshoumaru held his in check as much as he could. He did not wish to overpower his brother this time. He merely wanted to test the half-breed and learn what he could. Defeating him would serve no purpose at the current time. "Kagome is not just some bitch!"

"And if I say she is? Who are you to say differently?"

***

They walked arm in arm down towards the hot springs, laughing and talking amongst themselves as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred between them. Kagome could feel the questions that hovered around Sango, but was glad Sango had enough control and thoughtfulness within her to wait for her to speak on the subject first.

They reached the springs and Kagome eagerly undressed and slipped into the waters, sighing happily to herself as she dunked underneath the heated pool's surface. When she breached the waters once more, Sango was sitting in the pool with her, smiling at her. "You are shining, Kagome," Sango said softly.

"What?" Kagome asked, confused. Then she became distracted by her precious bottles of shampoo and conditioner.

Sango merely watched while Kagome lathered up her hair and was still watching when Kagome surfaced once more. Kagome finally noticed that Sango wasn't bathing and looked to her. "What's going on?"

"I thought we came here to talk."

"We did, but I really wanted a bath, too. It's been too long since I've had a good one."

"Sesshoumaru does not strike me as the kind to neglect what he considers his," Sango prodded.

"And he doesn't," Kagome said, answering the unspoken question while avoiding it at the same time. Why did she think a one-on-one conversation with Sango would be easier?

Sango slid further into the water and came over to Kagome's side. She reached out, placing her hand on Kagome's shoulder and forcing her friend to meet her eyes. "You are shining, Kagome," she said again, her voice soft yet confident. "I think Sesshoumaru agrees with you."

"What?"

"You are obviously confused about what is going on. We all were. None of us understood...or wanted to. But I have been speaking with Myoga, when he was here. And I think I understand more than most what you are going through now."

Kagome felt a feeling of resentment rising up within her. Not knowing why she would be feeling such, she pushed the feeling aside. "And what exactly am I going through, Sango?" she asked. She'd meant for her voice to be hard, but it came out sounding somewhat strangled to her own ears.

"You feel like you are betraying Inuyasha and you hate yourself because of it."

_Well, if that just didn't hit the nail on the head_, Kagome thought. She didn't speak, though, sensing that Sango was not yet done talking.

"You feel drawn towards Sesshoumaru and you want to be. Yet you don't."

_When did Sango come to occupy her mind so well? _"And what makes you think that?"

"Call it a little bit of personal experience," Sango said wearily, making Kagome grin as she thought of Sango and Miroku. "And a bit of woman's intuition. My father always said to pay attention to my heart where life was concerned. Though I haven't served myself well in that regard, I think of you as my own sister, Kagome, and want what is only best for you. If Sesshoumaru makes you shine as you are now, then I say go with your heart and soul on this. If there is any doubt, any doubt whatsoever, that he will not be able to keep you content, then... Then I don't know."

"I can't just run away from him, Sango," Kagome tried to explain, the image of Sesshoumaru's red eyes from the last time she'd tried running from him haunting her mind. "And I'm not entirely sure I want to. It's just all so strange."

"As you would say, Kagome, I believe that is the understatement of the year."

At that, Kagome laughed and it felt good to be talking to Sango with such ease once more. Taking a deep breath, she turned her eyes away from her friend and busied her hands with washing herself. "When it is just the two of us," Kagome said as she began lathering up her washcloth with soap. "He's so different from how we knew him. So tender...in his own way."

Kagome let her voice drift off and turned to look to Sango once more. She took a deep breath, sorting out her thoughts in her mind and steeling herself once more. She was here to explain to her friends what was going on and she was here to try and understand everything herself. That was not possible if she stayed lost in fogged thoughts. "I just really need to speak with Inuyasha, Sango."

Sango's eyes reflected her thoughts. "He does not blame you, Kagome."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Inuyasha loves you. He would never blame you for something like this."

"Because he loves me, he would," Kagome argued. "It'd be like he was being abandoned and betrayed all over again. I can't do that to him."

Heated tears filled her eyes and Kagome dunked herself back under the water to hide them from Sango. Of course, her friend knew her better than to let that trick work. As soon as she surfaced again, Sango was wrapping her arms around her, her hand lovingly stroking Kagome's hair. "I think what you need, Kagome, is a good cry. Then we can sort everything out."

***

He couldn't win in a fight against his brother. Inuyasha _knew _this. But that didn't stop him from attacking Sesshoumaru with his whole heart and being. And Sesshoumaru countered him each step of the way with a skill that only managed to rile Inuyasha even further. Finally the fight was over. He was disarmed, bleeding profusely, and pinned to the ground with Toukijin flush against his neck. Sesshoumaru stood over him, as calm and collected as always, a bored expression on his face while he struggled to catch his own breath. "Are you gonna kill me now, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha snarled. He did not fear death.

_Was the half-breed the "retarded" one? How many times would he push this issue? _"No," Sesshoumaru answered, seriously questioning himself on this matter. The half-breed seemed to have a death wish, after all. And it would be quite _brotherly_ of him to indulge his younger sibling's wishes.... Kagome could not fault him for only wanting to help.

His half-brother did what Inuyasha had never thought to see. Sesshoumaru stepped away from him and sheathed his sword. He stared down hard at him for a moment, looking as if he were debating with himself, and then released a pent up breath. Never had the daiyoukai appeared so unlike himself before his brother before and Inuyasha felt something within him clench. "You have finally proven yourself, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said at last.

"I was never looking for your approval, Sesshoumaru."

True to his usual nature, Sesshoumaru continued as if he had not spoken. "This Sesshoumaru no longer fears for the Western Lands once I am gone."

Now that statement stunned Inuyasha into silence, but the silence only lasted a moment. "What the hell are you talking about, Sesshoumaru? I want nothing to do with what you have!"

"This I know," Sesshoumaru replied, taking another step away from him. "And little would I care..."

His half-brother's voice had faded and his eyes turned unfocused. Inuyasha could tell that Sesshoumaru's mind was somewhere else. Not that the daiyoukai was distracted enough to not notice when he tried to rise, but Sesshoumaru was not entirely there at the moment. Inuyasha's mind immediately turned to Kagome and he knew that Sesshoumaru was thinking of her, as well. What was it about that girl that drew people?! "But Kagome does," he said, in understanding.

"What she sees in such a useless piece of flesh, I will never know."

Holding back a groan of pain, Inuyasha rose to his feet and flexed his claws. He twisted his body and bones popped back into place as he moved. "You haven't much time to figure it out," Inuyasha said, his voice gloating even though he didn't really feel that way. He only had a few constants in his life and suddenly even those were being ripped away. "So why try to understand her?"

"She is a mystery."

How they had gone from full out fighting to having a very near civil conversation was lost to him, but Inuyasha knew that his plan had worked. "You have to accept her for who and what she is and that's a hard thing to do, Sesshoumaru. Kami knows that took me forever and I'm still trying. Are you sure you're up for the challenge?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes focused back on him in a heartbeat and Inuyasha fought back the shiver that gaze rose within him. His brother had perfected the death by glare look centuries ago. Jaken was a fine example of that. "Women," Inuyasha said as he cracked his neck. "Can't live with them. Can't kill them."

At that, Sesshoumaru's brows rose slightly and Inuyasha gave another laugh. "A saying from her time, no doubt," Sesshoumaru said.

"Yeah. Her brother is full of them."

"Because we may easily kill them."

At that, Inuyasha raised his hands in surrender. Sometimes his brother was just too literal for him. _Way_ too serious. But he didn't know the life his brother had led after their father's death. Hell, he didn't know about the life his brother had led _before_ their father's death. "You couldn't kill her."

"No. This Sesshoumaru would pass, as well, if I chose to do so."

Inuyasha wasn't buying it. He'd gone through too much, been put through too much personal torment and forced to think too much, to believe what his brother was telling him. He walked over to where his sword was stuck in the earth and retrieved it. The blade, sensing his calmed mood, stayed in its rusted state and Inuyasha sheathed it. He then turned to face his brother once more. Sesshoumaru hadn't moved a single muscle since, it seemed. "You can't make her love you, Sesshoumaru," he said, in all honesty. "You can't make a human heart feel something it won't. If Kagome doesn't accept you, doesn't hear from you how _you_ feel, she'll stay in doubt and her heart will fester. You can trust me on this from experience."

His brother remained silent and unmoved and Inuyasha released a breath in exasperation. "So tell me now, Sesshoumaru. Do you love her? Do you love her like she should be loved? There's no doubt in my mind that, in the time you've spent with her, Kagome hasn't shown you everything she is and everything she deserves. Are you the one who can give it to her?"

***

Kagome felt her tears still in an instant and she pulled away from Sango's grip. Her friend watched her do so, a perplexed look on her face. Kagome ignored her as her hand rose to trace fingers over the marking on her wrist. Sango's eyes widen when she saw the darkly colored crescent moon. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It's probably not," Kagome said absentmindedly as her thumb traced over the marking. Her voice sounded distant to even her own ears and she tried to force herself to focus back on Sango. But the emotions pouring through her bond with Sesshoumaru were so intense, she just couldn't do it. So she let herself go, closing her eyes and focusing on what she was feeling through their connection. It wasn't just Sesshoumaru she was sensing. "Inuyasha...," she said at last, opening her eyes to look at Sango once more. "He is with Sesshoumaru."

In an instant, Sango was tense and rising out of the water. Kagome laid a hand upon her friend's arm, stilling her instantly, and shook her head. "No, Sango."

"You can't possibly want to leave the two of them alone together?"

Kagome found her first smile since her breakdown and shook her head softly. "We would only be in the way, Sango."

"What are you talking about, Kagome? What do you sense?"

Her smile softened and she just shook her head no again and sank back down into the warm waters of the springs.

***


	24. Chapter 24

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Twenty Four ~

KAGOME was walking with Sango back to the village, aware that her friend was studying her closely. "Aren't you worried for Inuyasha?" Sango asked for the third time in a row.

"They're not even together any more, Sango. And Inuyasha is fine."

"And you just know this?"

"Yes, I do."

Sango stopped and looked towards her friend. Kagome was still Kagome, but there were subtle differences. Yes, she was still emotional, but not as open as she once was. Her gaze seemed more direct, more like Sesshoumaru's. Even the way she carried herself seemed different. There was nothing wrong with her, though. In fact, she seemed happier than Sango had ever seen her. "Myoga told us that the bond between you and Sesshoumaru allows you the sense the other's thoughts and emotions. When you feel pain or sadness, he will feel it, too. It must seem odd, to be so connected to someone," she prodded. Kagome had said so little about what was happening to her.

Kagome gave a delicate shrug of her shoulders. She'd come here to talk to her friends, to reassure herself of their safety and wellbeing. Now that she was here, though, all she wanted was quiet. Quiet and the daiyoukai's company. "It's strange," she finally answered, realizing she was losing herself in her thoughts.

"What does it feel like?" Sango asked as they started walking once more. "Can you tell what he is thinking or is it more like just intuition?"

Kagome tried to find the words to describe what it felt like, but nothing even remotely close came to mind. Finally she gave up and just shook her head no. "I can't describe it, but it isn't scary. It is more... comforting, I suppose you could say. I know I'll never be alone, never be without. For all eternity, I shall have someone with me. And while the fact that, that someone is Sesshoumaru is something I'm still getting use to, I am happy. And no, I can only sense his emotions and general whereabouts. It takes focus to sense any more and we both know how I am about that."

"You are stronger than you think, Kagome," Sango assured her.

Kagome offered her friend a smile. "Thanks. You always know what to say."

As they neared the edge of the village, Kagome could sense that Inuyasha was near. Coming to a stop once more, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her friend. Her head turned towards the familiar path to the Bone Eater's well and trepidation swelled within her. Knowing her fears were being broad casted to Sesshoumaru, Kagome tried to keep them to herself and at a minimum. She didn't need him charging in here, thinking she was in danger or afraid, and she was sure he would come if she felt such things strongly enough.

Putting her hand on Sango's arm, she nodded in the direction of the well. "Inuyasha is there."

"Then you should go and speak with him," Sango said, taking her bag from her. "I will take this back to Kaede's for you."

Instinctively, Kagome reached out and hugged her friend. "Thank you, Sango."

Sango blushed over the attention. "Just hurry back. We still have much to talk about, Kagome."

Smiling, Kagome watched as Sango continued walking back to the village. Then she turned, determined, towards the Bone Eater's well where all of this had begun.

***

Coming up behind him, knowing he knew she was there, Kagome paused a few feet away from her hanyou friend. His back was stiff and one hand rested on the hilt of his sword. The other hand was tracing the knots in the wood the well was made of. The sun was setting and the golden glow of the sun made his hair seem even brighter than it already was. The wind ruffled the folds of his fire rat robe and Kagome felt as if she could smell his distinctive scent. She'd missed him so much more than she thought she had. "You smell like him," he said, not looking at her.

Kagome wasn't sure what to say to that and so remained silent, still. Waiting was something she was use to doing where Inuyasha was concerned, but it wasn't something she hated doing either. He was her friend, had saved her life more times than she could count on both hands. The least she could do was wait for him to work things out in his mind.

Then he turned and was standing before her. His arms were reaching out, wrapping around her, and bringing her sharply up against him. He buried his nose into her hair and she could hear him taking in deep breaths of air as he inhaled her scent. "Inuyasha," Kagome whispered as she returned his embrace. "I missed you."

Suddenly self-conscious, he stepped away from her, his eyes raking over her, looking for anything out of place. Kagome answered his silent question. "I'm not hurt."

"The bastard wouldn't hurt you," he said gruffly, his eyes still looking her over. "He'd have to answer to me if he did."

She almost rolled her eyes as his usual male bravado made its appearance. Inuyasha liked to believe that all answered to him where she was concerned and Kagome had been happy to have life like that for a time. Things changed, though.

Unable to keep the question in her mind any more, Kagome decided that to be forward with Inuyasha was the best way to handle things. "Are you mad at me, Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice coming out more like a whisper than the demanding tone she was hoping for.

He looked up at her face, his confusion evident. "Mad? Why would I be mad at you?" He paused for a moment, tucking his hands into his sleeves. Then his eyes hardened and his stance stiffened. "Hell, yes I'm mad at you, Kagome! You scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she replied to his outburst, tears swelling in her eyes.

He looked almost frantic when he smelt her coming tears. "Are you gonna cry? Don't cry!"

His plea only reminded her more of one of their first adventures together and made the tears come on even faster. Unable to stop herself, she threw her arms around him once more and squeezed tight, knowing he could shake her off if he really wanted to but glad when he didn't. Her tears soon dried and turned to laughter as she recalled other situations she'd found herself in with him. She pulled away from her friend once more, smiling when she saw the blush on his face. "Oh, Inuyasha, what am I going to do with you?"

"Do with me?"

Kagome shook her head at his confusion and took a deep breath. She had always faced life with one foot forward and hope in her heart. She wasn't about to start acting differently now. "I need you to go and talk to my mom for me. Let her know everything is fine and that I'm okay. And that I'll be back as soon as I'm able."

"Everything is _not_ fine," Inuyasha insisted with a pout. "I'm not gonna go lying to your mother for you, you know."

"You wouldn't be lying. I _am _perfectly fine."

"Yeah. Right up until that bastard puts a fist through your chest."

That comment almost made Kagome laugh again and she had no idea why she would find it funny. Was Sesshoumaru listening in and had he found the comment amusing? "I don't think he's going to be putting a fist through my chest any time soon, Inuyasha."

"Just turn your back on the bastard and we'll see!"

Kagome groaned. This was not going like she had thought it would. They were back to bickering almost like a brother and sister. Almost for old time's sake, Kagome was tempted to sit him, but she pushed the urge aside. Inuyasha mainly wore the necklace now because he wanted to. If he ever lost control, her sit command might be the only thing that stopped him. And she knew he feared the demon inside and what it was capable of doing without thought or care.

She had sometimes wondered why Sesshoumaru wasn't more like Inuyasha was when he transformed. Perhaps it was training or, more than likely, just control. Now that Sesshoumaru seemed to have in abundance.

Bringing her thoughts back into focus, she watched as Inuyasha paced before her, going on and on about what Sesshoumaru might do to her, the various ways her weak human body could be destroyed by him without her actually having to die. "Inuyasha," she said, trying to get him to pay attention to her and what she had to say to him. When he didn't stop his ranting, Kagome put her hands on her hips and used the tone she hadn't used in a long time. It was the tone that had, once upon time, meant the hanyou was near the point of being grounded. "Inu…yasha!"

Almost instinctively, his ears flattened on his head and he turned to look at her, eyes wide. "Inuyasha, we have more important matters to discuss."

"More important?! Girl, your brain _is_ broken! You've been around that bastard too long. Sesshoumaru is dangerous."

"I know who Sesshoumaru is and I _know_ how dangerous he can be."

"Can be?" Inuyasha interrupted.

"Fine. Is," she grounded out between clenched teeth. "Happy now, Inuyasha?"

His ears flattened again as he watched her temper rise. Kagome was sometimes the most scary thing he knew—especially when she was angry. Inuyasha just hoped he was around the day Sesshoumaru pissed her off. He wanted to watch the fireworks.

Shaking his head against the thought, revolted still by the idea of Sesshoumaru and Kagome being together, he looked back at her. Kagome had her hands back on her hips and her foot was tapping impatiently. She was waiting for something and he damn well better have the right words or else he was sure she'd sit him.

Straightening himself to where his height topped hers, he nodded his head regally. "Happy," he shot back, ruining his 'manly' stance by flinching.

Kagome noticed his flinch and couldn't stop the laugh that burst forth. "Oh, Inuyasha," she said before she could think. "I love you."

Inuyasha looked away from her after she spoke, his foot kicking a rock on the ground and his eyes following its progress across the clearing. "But not the way you love him," he said after a moment.

All laughter fled at his words and Kagome stilled. Love Sesshoumaru? Did she? Sango had said she was glowing and now even Inuyasha was remarking upon it.

She stepped closer to him, placing her hand gently upon his arm. Kagome wasn't hurt when Inuyasha drew away from her touch and refused to look at her. This was as hard on him as it was on her. "I...I don't know what I feel where Sesshoumaru is concerned, Inuyasha. It's all been so confusing. Most of the time I was with him, I was worried about you."

"I can take care of myself!" he spat out.

"I know," Kagome said softly. "But that doesn't mean I don't worry. Like I know my mother worries when I come here. She knows I have you and that you'll do everything you can to keep me safe, but that doesn't stop her."

"If you're trying to get me to go back there and lie for you, it ain't gonna work, Kagome."

She hadn't been trying to convince him to do that, knowing he would anyway no matter how much he complained about it, and Kagome felt like slapping him for being so single-minded sometimes. Or, in all actuality, his avoidance of the real situation at hand was making her want to strike out at him. "I wasn't trying to convince you, Inuyasha. I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!"

He glanced at her over his shoulder when she didn't continue talking. "Well?" he said impatiently. "I'm listenin' ain't I?"

"Are you?"

"Yes!" he yelled, turning back to face her, his arms crossed defensively across his chest.

"Good. Then what I'm trying to say is that I haven't forgotten the promise I made to you. I swore to stay by your side and I intend to keep that no matter what. Sesshoumaru cannot come between that."

"As if I ever thought that!"

"Then what do you think, Inuyasha? That's what I want to know!"

"You wanna know what I think?" he said, taking a step forward. His eyes flashed dangerously with anger and something more. "I think that bastard isn't worthy of you, Kagome! Doesn't deserve to lick the ground you walk on!" One clawed hand pointed into the direction she knew Sesshoumaru was in. "He hasn't earned the right to call you his!"

Inuyasha was breathing harshly, his anger coloring his voice and body language. Kagome didn't know quite what to say that would smooth the growing situation out. Of course, she knew some things were not able to be fixed immediately even if she wished it with all her heart. So she took a deep breath to calm her racing heartbeat and looked Inuyasha in his eyes. "I think I am the one to say who is worthy and who is not."

"And he is?" Inuyasha said heatedly. "He's worthy to take you? To hold you? To love you?"

"I already said I don't know!" she yelled back at him.

"Well you damn well better know quick, Kagome. Cause I ain't about to sit around here and do nothin'. And neither is Sesshoumaru."

"This isn't your battle, Inuyasha. It's mine. And I can take care of myself," Kagome returned, using his own words against him.

He let out a sharp laugh at that. "The day you don't get in trouble by just walkin' somewhere is the day I let Naraku sit down and eat ramen with me!"

"Well then I'll just break out the ramen and cook some up because you'll be eating with him in no time!"

He spun angrily away from her and Kagome let out an exasperated scream, not caring that her tone probably hurt his ears. She stomped her foot for lack of anything better to do to get her anger out of her. Turning away from him, she began storming off into the direction she knew Sesshoumaru was in. Then she stopped, all anger leaking from her in an instant. She didn't want it to be this way.

Not turning back to him, she looked over her shoulder to where he was still stiffly standing. His eyes were focused hard on the well before him as, she realized, he tried to get a hold of his own anger. "Inuyasha."

She knew he heard her. And so she continued despite the fact that it appeared as if he wasn't listening. "I'm sorry. But I'm following my heart on this matter. It's never led me astray before. In fact, following my heart has brought me much pleasure," she added, speaking of meeting him and hoping he understood that. "I just hope you understand and know how I feel about you, too."

He said nothing back to her and continued staring at the well. Kagome sighed, feeling strangely defeated, and turned back towards Sesshoumaru's direction. She didn't hear when Inuyasha whispered, "I know and I love you, too, Kagome."

***

She found Sesshoumaru standing on a hilltop, staring off into the distance. He seemed to be watching the sunset, but Kagome knew better. His aura was radiating discontent. She wasn't sure if it was because they were so close to Inuyasha or because of the argument she'd just had or for maybe an entirely different reason altogether.

Approaching him slowly, unsure of herself, she stopped a few feet away from him. "Sesshoumaru?"

There was a brief glance in her direction; his molten gaze seeming to sear into her in that split second before he turned back towards the horizon. She could feel his youki flaring and her own aura rising in response. Then she could feel as the unsettledness that had hung in the air dissipated to some degree. It wasn't entirely gone, but it wasn't as strong as it was before her arrival. Feeling more confident, she came to stand almost beside him.

"As my mate you are my equal," he said without looking at her. "You stand beside me. Never behind."

Taking a bold step forward, knowing what this meant both physically and mentally, Kagome stopped by his side. She turned her eyes towards the horizon, as well, hoping to see what Sesshoumaru did. It was beautiful, but it wasn't anything that would capture her as it seemed to have him. After a long moment of silence, Kagome turned to look at him. "Penny for your thoughts?"

A raised brow was all she received and Kagome sighed to herself and turned back to staring at the countryside. The sun was dipping below the horizon and painting the skies with brilliant golds, reds, and oranges. A splash of purple outlined the edge of the sunset and greeted the stars of the evening. The crickets were chirping to celebrate the coming night and she could hear the day time animals settling down around them in the trees. "My grandfather," Kagome said after a time, "Use to say you could hear whispers in the dark if you were silent long enough. He said they were the voices of our ancestors coming to give us advice and well wishes."

"This Sesshoumaru doubts you ever heard them."

Ignoring his lightly given insult, Kagome indulged him with a smile. "I use to try," she admitted. "But I could never be still long enough. At least, that is what grandfather use to say when I complained about hearing nothing."

There was another long lull of silence before he responded. "Control is the key to silence."

She waited for more, but nothing else seemed forthcoming from the now stoic daiyoukai. "And you have too much of it," Kagome grounded out under her breath as Sesshoumaru seemed to go back into statue mode.

That comment earned her a slightly raised corner of his mouth. Kagome would have missed the movement if she hadn't been studying him as intently as she was. Almost feeling like she was grasping at straws but needing this, she reached forward and laid her hand upon his arm. The corded muscle jumped at her touch and she almost pulled away. Then she decided against that and put her hand more heavily upon him. It still felt strange to her to touch him, but she was slowly getting over that fear and finding the action almost thrilling. "What do you see when you watch the sunset?" she asked, genuinely curious. "I've seen you watching the sunset and the sunrise many times. Does it look different to you?"

"I have not the eyes of a human. I do not know what you see that I do not."

"But you know what I do not hear and you know I can't see in the dark like you. There must be something spectacular there that I do not see to devote so much of your attention."

There was another long breath of silence between them. Just when Kagome was about to open her mouth again, Sesshoumaru spoke. "You and the half breed have spoken."

It wasn't phrased as a question, nothing Sesshoumaru ever said truly was, but Kagome knew what he was prodding about. He was close enough to where he'd probably heard the entire conversation. And even if he hadn't been close enough, her emotions had surely blasted between them through their bond. No one had the ability, save maybe Souta sometimes, to get her as angry as Inuyasha did. "Yes, Inuyasha and I have spoken," she returned calmly, stressing Inuyasha's name.

A light breeze rustled across the hilltop, lifting the strands of their hair and tangling them together. Kagome leaned her head against his arm, sighing to herself as she thought over her conversation with Inuyasha. It hadn't gone as she had expected it to, but nothing ever did where he was concerned. "The half-breed," Sesshoumaru said, interrupting her thoughts and ignoring her hint on Inuyasha's name, "Does not think this Sesshoumaru capable of caring for you."

"And I'm sure you corrected him," she added dryly, wondering what exactly had happened between the two brothers that she wasn't aware of.

When he made no move to continue speaking, Kagome realized that this was what was bothering him. Something his brother had said to him was troubling him and this was a new problem for Sesshoumaru, she knew. He had never paid attention to anything Inuyasha had said in the past. Was this because of her or some other reason? Tightening her hold upon his arm, as if she could offer a solution to his problems with merely a touch, she turned her face inward, burying it in the folds of his haori. "Does that bother you?" she asked at last, her voice muffled by the silk.

He stiffened beside her. "As if the words of a half-breed could disturb this Sesshoumaru."

Smiling to herself, Kagome rubbed her face against the silk of his clothing. She had always loved the feel of silk. "This Kagome," she said, taking a chance at lightly mocking his pattern of speech, "Thinks this Sesshoumaru protests too much."

He moved, turning slightly away from her. He didn't move far enough away that she was no longer able to touch him, but far enough to make it seem as if there was distance between them. "Youkai do not love."

"Your father did," Kagome countered.

"He was an anomaly."

"I don't think so."

He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. His eyes connected with hers and Kagome felt something stir between them. Everything seemed to be moving so fast. She wasn't sure where one thing began or where another thing ended. Less than a week ago she was set against this and then, all of the sudden, she seemed to be the one fighting for forward movement. "You think you will not be able to love me?" she asked, wanting to understand.

Sesshoumaru turned back away from her, his silence all the answer she needed. "Love is not something a person automatically knows or understands," she tried to explain, not even sure if she was going in the right direction or if she knew what she was speaking about. It wasn't as if she had loved a great many outside of her family. Experience in love was not something she held a lot of water in. "It's an emotion that is learned."

She moved around to stand in front of him, not caring that he didn't look down to meet her eyes. Keeping her one hand on his arm, she placed the other on his shoulder, wanting to touch him and not his armor. The last of the sunlight was disappearing, casting shadows and darkness across the lands. The breeze was turning colder with the nightfall, but Kagome felt no chill as the warmth of the daiyoukai in front of her seemed to cocoon her in.

Slowly, she traced the hand on his shoulder upward, having to push herself up on her toes to reach his cheek. He did not move away from her touch, but he did not move into it either. Not letting his unresponsiveness deter her, Kagome kept her eyes on his face, watching for the slightest of responses. "If you will allow me to," she said softly. "I will try and teach you to love."

***

Inuyasha watched the pair from a safe distance away. He knew Sesshoumaru was aware of his presence, but he didn't care. Kagome was his to protect and he wasn't about to leave her unguarded with Sesshoumaru as long as it was in his ability to do so.

Some of their words reached his ears, but mostly his eyes followed Kagome's actions. The way she leaned into his brother was more telling than any words she could say. When his brother turned away from her, Inuyasha had been prepared to jump to her rescue, but was stalled in mid-leap when she moved to stand in front of the daiyoukai.

He watched, her face clear to him, as she moved to reach up to Sesshoumaru. Her eyes seemed lit from within, her expression soft and tender. She whispered something to his half-brother that his ears couldn't catch, but Inuyasha didn't need to hear what she had to say. The way his brother reacted, stiffening and then slowly looking down at the woman before him, was enough.

Inuyasha turned away when he saw Sesshoumaru reaching for her. Jealousy flared within him, but he shut it down. Such a feeling had no place here anymore.

***

At the sound of her whispered words, Sesshoumaru stiffened and looked down at the woman standing before him. Her hand seemed like a brand against his flesh. Her smell intoxicated him as it never had before. Always her scent had called to him; since the day he'd discovered she was the _one_ as she climbed out of the Bone Eater's well. Never, though, had it been this intense, this strong.

He flared his youki, letting go of his control just enough to force her to respond. Her aura lifted up around her; gentle and humming with life where his was dark and singing of death. They merged, dancing with a practiced abandon only capable of two who knew each other. He knew she was aware of what he was doing, but she never stole her eyes from his. There was a longing in her gaze. There was a calling.

_Yin and Yang_, he thought as he raised his hand to her face. The paleness of his skin contrasted greatly against her sun-kissed flesh; much as his hair contrasted to hers. There seemed to be nothing of the other in themselves and yet there was. Deep within her, she held him. And deep within himself, he held a part of her. He wasn't entirely sure of when this had happened, but it had. They were one.

His claws settled against her cheek, much as her hand was on him. "What is it that you ask of this Sesshoumaru, miko?"

Her eyes searched his face. "I...," she began and then turned her head into his hand, rubbing her cheek against him. A light blush stained her cheeks and she closed her eyes, gathering her own courage to continue speaking. "I want you to give yourself to me. Be....my only."

He was reminded of a conversation they'd had in a dream. She had asked him why her and his response had been that she was his only. He hadn't understood then what he was undertaking and he wasn't entirely sure he understood now. So much had happened in such a short period of time. Sesshoumaru had been prepared to take years, if necessary, to bring the miko to this point in time. And now that the time was there, he felt stalled. He felt lost and he didn't like it. Never was he unsure of what to do. He was a youkai of limited words, but he always knew what to say and how to say it. Now, though, for the first time in his long life, since pup hood he was sure, he wanted to be the follower and not the leader. He wanted someone to tell him what to say. There was no one there but she and he, though. There was no one to look to but her and himself.

He felt her falter as the silence lingered between them. Her eyes opened, glancing to the side, away from him, and he didn't like her looking elsewhere. A slight push of his hand brought her eyes back to him. She was still so young, so new to life. The air of innocence would never leave her, he knew. She would grow old and die and never lose the luscious beauty that was hers and hers alone. And he had been chosen by the Fates to see to her safety. "This Sesshoumaru would be honored."

A smile came to her face, bringing her beauty more into focus. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but they were not tears of sadness.

***


	25. Chapter 25

** chapter revised 4/17/2010 **

~ Chapter Twenty Five ~

INUYASHA jumped through the well, his emotions still raging. Taking a breath to calm himself, he leaped out and landed topside. The doors to the well house were closed, but that didn't matter to him. He could see perfectly fine.

Looking around him, he remembered all the other times he'd been here to Kagome's time. There was much here she loved, but there was nothing here, save her family, that she was better off having—if he were asked. The air here stank of pollution and decay. The woods and animals had been driven away to be replaced by hard surfaces and glaringly bright metal objects. Someone like Kagome deserved to have nature all around her, beauty that matched hers.

Pushing open the doors to the well house, he easily caught the soccer ball that was flying through the air. "Inuyasha!" he heard Souta yell with excitement.

Tossing the ball back to the boy, he looked him over. Kagome's brother was getting taller these days. What was it Kagome had called it? Oh, yeah. A growth spurt. "Hey, Souta," he said as he tossed the ball back to him and looked around for Kagome's mother. Her scent was all over the place, but that was to be expected since she lived here. He couldn't tell if she was _there_, though.

Souta raced up to him, excitement lighting up his face and reminding Inuyasha so much of Kagome. His eyes looked around Inuyasha anxiously. "Kagome with you? I haven't seen her in ages."

"Nah, she had...things...to take care of. Your mom around?"

If Souta thought it odd that he wanted to talk to their mom, he made no mention of it and just answered his question. "She took Grandpa to see some friends, but she should be back soon. Want some ramen while you wait? Mom's been expecting Kagome to come back for supplies and she has everything ready to go."

At the mention of ramen, Inuyasha's ears perked up. "Yeah, kid. That'd be good," he said, following after Souta into the house. There was nothing like a full stomach to bolster courage and courage was what he'd need. There was just something about Higurashi women. They were scary; either Kagome mad scary or calm mom scary. And Inuyasha didn't really want to deal with either one of them right now.

The things he did for that girl....

***

Kagome stared up into Sesshoumaru's golden eyes, glowing in the darkness of night. He leaned down just as she turned her face up to his. His lips brushed lightly across her own. The touch was so fleeting and yet so filled with indescribable heat.

She wanted more.

She felt Sesshoumaru wrap his arm around her, his muscles tightening as he coiled around her, and then there was a blinding flash. A feeling similar to weightlessness, like the feeling of being carried by the well, engulfed her. Just as she was getting use to the feeling, the blinding light disappeared and she was back on solid ground once more. Looking around her, she found herself standing amongst the now familiar field of white flowers, memories of this place washing over her both from her own mind and Sesshoumaru's.

The daiyoukai found peace here. Peace like no other.

Stepping away from him, wrapping her arms around her as the chill of the air hit her skin, she looked up into the night sky where the moon hung above. Stars littered the sky in the billions and offered a soft blanket of night for the moon to sit upon. Then he was standing behind her and Kagome could no longer focus on the sky. She turned to face him, coming face to chest with the daiyoukai. His armor had been removed and he was staring down at her intently, eyes tinged with lust and desire. Blushing from his heated look, she forced herself to keep eye contact. "So," she said, needing to the fill the silence with _something_. "What do I do?"

The intensity of his gaze did not lessen. If anything, it grew. "Close your eyes," he answered, his voice whisper soft. His deep baritone floated across her like a caress all its own and raised goose bumps across her skin. Kagome shuddered, her entire being focused on his next words. "And feel."

Taking a deep breath, Kagome did as instructed. She did not feel afraid or nervous. Rather it was like coming home after being away for a long, long time. Thoughts of others seemed far away in her mind as all she could sense, all she could feel was Sesshoumaru.

His youki flared up around her, fully released and blanketing her and the surrounding land with its dominance. She found her own answering; pushing up against his, taming the wild edges. Even with her eyes closed, she could see all of this in her mind. Then she felt his hand upon her face, his claws skimming through the long length of her hair with the greatest of care. He could so easily break her. It wouldn't be anything for him to end her. And yet, he was treating her as if she were the most delicate of flowers. But she knew she had strength in her. Strength to match his, in spirit if not physically.

Unable to stop herself, she reached forward with her hands, laying them against his chest. His heart beat strong underneath her palm, racing in time with her own, and his chest rose and fell with uneven breaths. She leaned into his warmth, lifting her face towards him, and was rewarded by his lips settling possessively over her own. Kagome willingly opened her mouth to him, inviting him to taste of her, and Sesshoumaru greedily took up her offer. His lips and tongue mastered her own, drawing out the carnal side of her that had been so long hidden. Kagome gloried in the feelings he arose within her and wished for it never to fade.

She was so lost in the sensation of their mouths linked together that she wasn't even aware of her lungs screaming desire for air until Sesshoumaru pulled away from her and she was panting. But she knew she wasn't panting only because of that. Her body was tingling from head to toe, longing for something she knew not of except through instinct.

Opening her eyes, Kagome looked up into Sesshoumaru's face. The markings on his cheeks were jagged and elongated and the gold of his eyes had fully bled away leaving sparkling rubies centered with brilliant blue irises behind. He was so close to losing his precious control and it was all because of her. "Do you fear me, miko?" he asked, his voice barely a growl.

"Never," she breathed and it was the truth. Whatever fear she had held towards him had melted away. He would never hurt her, would always be there with her, and would love her. She would be his only one and he would be hers.

He leaned down towards her, rubbing his cheek against her own in a gesture entirely inu. His lips moved to kiss the side of her face and down her jaw line. His tongue flicked across her throat, tasting her, and he nibbled her just below her ear. The sensation tickled and Kagome couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled forth. He answered her with a growl that seemed to rumble through her entire being and she felt his mokomoko snaking around her once more. Her hand reached down, grasping the pelt, stroking and squeezing it as if it were the daiyoukai in front of her. "Can you....," she paused, unsure of whether or not she should continue with her thought. Her mind blushed as she realized the double meaning of her words, but her lips would not be stopped. "Do you feel it when I touch it?" she asked breathlessly as his lips moved down her throat.

He nodded his head against her, not wanting to pull away from the seemingly delectable morsel he'd found as his lips suckled against her pulse point. The feeling of his silky hair rubbing against her suddenly over sensitized skin only increased her pleasure. Kagome grasped the mokomoko firmly in her hand and ran her fingers through the fluff, loving the shiver that raced through Sesshoumaru's body as she did so. She repeated the motion again, twining her arm through the fur and holding it close.

His hand moved down from her head to her lower back, settling possessively upon it. His thumb moved incessantly back and forth, stroking her through her clothing. Kagome shivered, but not from the cold, as his hand moved lower, cupping her bottom and bringing her flush against him. She gasped when she felt his hardness there and Sesshoumaru used that to kiss her fully once more, delving his tongue into her wanting mouth. She soon found herself being lifted and automatically wrapped her legs around his lean waist, her hands settling upon his shoulders as he lowered them both to the ground.

Slowly releasing her hold upon him, she gazed up at his face where he stared down at her. Her hand reached up, brushing his bangs away from his ruby eyes. She wanted to see him, all of him. And she wanted to see him _now_. "Now this seems familiar," she said teasingly as she smiled up at him.

"Does it?" he fairly purred back at her.

"Yes. Flashes here and there coming and going," she answered, trying to sound vague. "What was it that you said to me when I asked you what happened here? Ah, yes," she continued to tease, taking on his tone. "Something like 'sharing myself with this Sesshoumaru in such a way is not something that will be lightly put from my mind'."

"And?" he pressed as he continued to stare down at her, his eyes hard with lust and desire and love.

Kagome smiled to herself as she realized her next words would entirely seal her fate; would make her his, would take her beyond anything she knew, and that she was more than willing to walk that path now. "And it hasn't been put from my mind. I find myself eager to know what more there is to you, _Lord_ Sesshoumaru."

His eyes widened momentarily with surprise before returning to their previous lust filled intensity. It was only for a heartbeat, but she saw it all the same and her body shivered as she realized what she'd done to him. "Vixen," he growled, grinding his hardness against her before lowering his lips down to hers once more.

***

Inuyasha ignored Souta's wide-eyed stare as he watched him devour his seventh cup of ramen. He heard the front door open and smelled Kagome's mom as she entered. "Souta!" she called out. "I'm home."

"In here, mom!" Souta yelled back and then lowered his voice when he noticed Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "Inuyasha's here," he continued in a quieter tone.

Kagome's mom came around the corner, her face brightening when she saw him sitting there, and Inuyasha felt the ramen he'd just eaten curling in his stomach. "Inuyasha," she greeted with a smile. "What a pleasant surprise. Is Kagome here with you?"

"Nah," he said as he stood up, pushing the now empty ramen cup aside to join the other empties. "She had things to take care of."

_The explanation had worked on Souta. Why wouldn't it work with her?_ he thought. Of course, he should have known better. Fate couldn't be kind to him or give him any kind of a break. Those things only happened to people the Kamis didn't like to mess with on a regular basis. "Oh?" she said as she set some bags she was carrying down on the counter top. "What did she have to do?"

_My brother_, he almost said but stopped himself. Straightening, glad his mind had caught up with his mouth in time, he fought the need to bolt. _Let Kagome come back and explain everything to her family_, he thought to himself, fighting the need to flee. Then he shoved the thought and feelings aside. Kagome had asked him to do this and do this he would! But how to explain it?

Mrs. Higurashi, sensing his need to gather his thoughts but knowing instinctively that nothing was wrong with her daughter, waited patiently. She put away the groceries and shooed Souta upstairs to get ready for bed while Inuyasha continued to stand there as if rooted to the spot. Then the hanyou opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "I take it Kagome is well?" she prodded.

"Oh. Oh yeah," he stuttered out. "She's better than well. Missin' you. Wanted me to pop back here and explain a few things for her...since she couldn't be here herself and all."

The hanyou paused again, his face red. Ms. Higurashi took a patient breath. Whatever the situation was, Inuyasha was _definitely_ not comfortable with it. "Would you like some more ramen, Inuyasha?" she asked as she cleared away the empty containers that had been left on the table.

"Yeah," he answered automatically and Mrs. Higurashi smiled to herself as she set about fixing it for him.

He watched her until she was done, taking his seat back at the table when she motioned for him to. She set the ramen before him and his hands picked up the chop sticks, but he made no move to eat the food in front of him. His eyes were focused on the broth as if it held the answers he wanted. "Kagome's with my brother," he finally shot out, still not looking at her. To keep himself from saying anything else, he shoved a large heaping of noodles into his mouth.

"Your brother?" she echoed. Kagome had told her some about Inuyasha's family. She knew she didn't get the full details of what her daughter went through on the other side of the well and she knew there was plenty more danger than her daughter ever told her about. But she also knew that her daughter felt a responsibility to fixing what she believed she had wronged and so she'd decided, long ago, that she wouldn't try and stop Kagome from doing what she believed right. Every time her daughter went through the well and disappeared from her reach, she just closed her eyes and prayed for Kagome's safe return. "His name is Sesshoumaru, right?"

"Yeah, that's the bastard," Inuyasha mumbled as he shoved another heaping bite of ramen in his mouth.

She sat down across from him, a cup of tea she'd made herself in hand. Something told her it would take time to get all the information out of Inuyasha. "I thought your brother and you didn't get along. Why is Kagome with him?"

_Why does she have to be so persistent for information!_ Inuyasha wailed to himself as he filled his mouth with another bite. He didn't really want to be eating right then, his stomach still twisting with dread, but it gave his mouth something else to do other than talk. Of course, the food never lasted long and Kagome's mom had the patience of a saint. "They're connecting...," he mumbled as he scooped another overly large bite into his mouth.

"Connecting," she repeated thoughtfully, making Inuyasha wonder if she was being stubborn on purpose.

He finished his bite and went to take another only to find no more. _Why did the ramen have to be gone? _Pushing the now empty container away, he set down his chop sticks and looked over at the woman across the table from him. She didn't seem upset or worried. Of course, she never did. Mrs. Higurashi was always calm, cool, and collected. Like Sesshoumaru.

Thinking of his brother almost made Inuyasha growl and he knew he needed to just spit it out and run away like a dog with his tail between his legs. Mrs. Higurashi couldn't cross through the well. He'd be safe on the other side.

Standing, he braced his hands on the table, willing himself not to gouge his claws into the wood. Kagome would be upset with him if he broke anything while he was here. "Look. They're soul mates. Destined for each other or somethin' like that. She can't come back here yet because he'll go all psycho crazy if she does, but she'll come back and tell you everything when she can. Now I gotta go."

He was out of the door and in the well house before Kagome's mother could formulate a response.

***

Sesshoumaru took in the scene before him; memorizing every sight, sound, and smell. Kagome lay before him, surrounded by his mokomoko and the lush grasses and white flowers of the valley floor. Her long, luxurious hair cascaded across the rich fur of his mokomoko, contrasting darkly. Her lips, red and swollen from their kisses, were parted slightly and her breasts were rising and falling rapidly as she gasped for air. Eyes darkened with passion, her hands were lightly stroking his chest. The feel of her touching him while she demanded to know more of him made Sesshoumaru want to devour her where she lay. The miko's touch was so innocent and yet so sensuous. The scent of her surrounded him, poured into him, and her heartbeat raged in his sensitive ears. He could smell the blood rushing through her veins as her body reacted to his slightest movement. Her legs were still clamped tightly around his waist and he could feel the heat of her arousal as it blossomed and spread against the hardness of his body.

He held such power over her right now, but, in truth, it was she who held him in the palm of her hand.

In all their previous encounters she had seemed shy and unsure, but now she was being so brazen. Her hands were pushing aside his haori, stroking the bare skin of his chest, demanding to touch him. Her nails danced across the muscles, stroking and teasing as they moved. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips as her eyes seemed to feast upon his form.

Staying completely still had never been so satisfying before.

Her eyes looked up into his and she smiled, a blush spreading across her cheeks when she realized he'd been watching her the entire time she explored him. "You're beautiful," she whispered, her voice resonating what he could tell her body was feeling.

Their bond, complete in a way no other than they could render once the miko had given herself entirely to it, pulsed between them. It hadn't happened with a flash or a bang. The bond had just come into being as if it had been there all along, covered but ready and waiting to form. Sesshoumaru needed no words to tell her what he was feeling, what she did to him. He needed no actions to convey everything to this mortal woman before him as she was now with him and he was with her. Bringing her here had been his desire, his wish. It was here that he wanted to first lay with her, to bring the miko her first taste of pleasure, of passion.

He watched as his mokomoko acted for the hand he no longer had, slipping within the kimono she wore and parting it for him. His eyes feasted as much as hers had done with him. When she made to cover herself, her maidenly instincts rising despite the want within her, his mokomoko forced her hands easily to her side, holding them there. "Mine," he growled as his eyes continued to move across her lithe figure, imprinting the scene. "You will never hide yourself from this Sesshoumaru."

He barely noticed her nod as he lowered his mouth to hers once more.

Leaving her breathless, he trailed kisses down her throat. His claws traced his name in kanji across the smooth, flat planes of her stomach and slowly moved upwards to cup one of her breasts. She jumped at his touch, but soon melted into him as his mouth continued to move across her skin. "Mine," he growled again, finding a satisfaction he never knew existed in the claim.

She followed his progress across her body, her breaths becoming more heated. "Yours," she agreed with a moan of pleasure as he squeezed the flesh trapped in his hand. Her eyes traced his features, strained as his instincts to dominate and control came forth. He knew she found no fear there. The miko's next whispered words wrapped him in a vice-like grip and Sesshoumaru knew he was lost to her. "Now take me, Sesshoumaru."

***

Glad to be back in his own time, Inuyasha jumped out of the well, all the dread he'd been feeling slipping away. Yeah, Kagome might be mad at him when she found out how he'd handled the situation, but what did she expect? He wasn't one for talking about such things. Now if it needed killing, he was the hanyou for the job.

He was walking back towards Kaede's to await Kagome's return when he ran into Shippou on the path. "Come on out, runt," he said towards the bushes the kitsune was hiding in. "I know you're there. I can smell you."

Shippou popped his head up, looking around Inuyasha to see if he was alone, and then jumped out the rest of the way. He came over to where Inuyasha was waiting for him. "Why are you out here, runt? Coming to check on me, too?"

"No!" Shippou said, crossing his arms across his chest. "I'm looking for Kagome. Sango said she left to talk to you. So where is she?"

Inuyasha growled to himself. _Would he get no relief today?_ "She's busy, runt. Come on back to Kaede's."

He started walking again, not bothering to see if Shippou were following. It took the kitsune a minute to race after him. "What is she doing, Inuyasha?" he asked when he finally reached his side.

"She's connecting," he answered, giving the same response he'd given both Souta and Mrs. Higurashi.

The kitsune sounded a little perplexed when he said, "With Sesshoumaru?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered gruffly. "She'll be back tomorrow. Sometime."

"Sesshoumaru's not going to hurt her, is he, Inuyasha?"

He glanced at the kitsune walking beside him. "No, Shippou. Now come on. I'm hungry," Inuyasha lied. If this kept up, he'd be fat in no time trying to keep from talking by stuffing his face with food. The faster they made it back to Kaede's, the better.

"But you smell like ramen! And Kagome's home!"

"So. I'm still hungry."

"No you're not. You're just trying to avoid the subject. You know, Miroku says it is unhealthy to keep your feelings inside of yourself."

"I ain't avoiding nothin', runt. And that good for nothing priest needs to learn to take his own advice. Now shut up and get moving or I'll leave you out here."

Shippou easily dodged Inuyasha's strike for his head. There was one good thing about Inuyasha picking on him. His reflexes got a daily work out and kept him agile on his feet during battle.

The two of them walked on in silence for a time and then Shippou stopped, turning to look at the darkened forest behind him. "Hey, Inuyasha."

"What now, Shippou?!" Inuyasha answered from several paces ahead of him. The hanyou wasn't going to stop until he reached Kaede's.

"If Kagome chooses to stay with Sesshoumaru, do you think we'll ever see her again?"

"Of course, runt. It's not like she could stay away."

"Yeah," Shippou agreed, hurrying to catch up with Inuyasha again. "She needs to bring me candy."

***

Kagome groaned as she came back into the waking world. A ray of sunlight seemed determined to shine directly in her face and she turned away from it, surprised as her face became buried in fur. Opening her eyes, shading them from the light, she looked around her. Surrounded by thick white fur that was slowly rising and falling, Kagome knew where she was and her body stilled, tensing, before relaxing completely.

Sitting up, she winced as the movement caused pain in muscles she didn't know could be sore. She looked up to where Sesshoumaru's head would be and found herself staring into the blood red eyes of his true form. He was watching her with a lazy grace Kagome only wished she could possess. Fighting the blush that rose on her cheeks as she recalled vividly what they had done the night before, she looked away from his intense gaze. "Good morning, Sesshoumaru," she said as she raked her hands through his thick, soft fur. "I suppose you would like me to get off you now."

She made to slide off his side, but his large muzzle came down, holding her in place. He took a deep sniff of her, lifting her hair with the force of his breath. Kagome laughed as it tickled her, putting her hands up on either side of his white nose. She leaned her head against his. "I think you've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you like this. Or maybe it's because you're lying down. You know the saying cats walk thin, sleep fat? Maybe it applies to you, too."

He snorted and she could feel what he was thinking almost as if he were saying it aloud. Lying back against him, Kagome let out a short laugh. "Yes, I know, I know. You haven't an ounce of fat on you. I'm very aware of that. Kami, I knew you were vain, but not that vain!"

Sighing to herself, she stared up at the blue sky above. Clouds were lazily floating above and Kagome realized it was much later than she had suspected with the sun nearing the position for late afternoon. "I don't feel any different," she suddenly said aloud. "I thought I'd feel different, but I don't."

_Well_, she supposed silently, _she did feel differently_. She felt...happy. Complete in way never experienced before—not even when gaining the missing half of her soul back from Kikyou. And she knew she would never be alone in this life. Sesshoumaru rumbled underneath her, waves of contentment echoing through her. It was one of the first times she could say that she had genuinely sensed such a thing from him.

Ignoring his displeased growl, she slid off the opposite side of him, using the fur of his back to slow her descent down to the ground. Her bare feet touched the soft grass just as a wave of youki washed over her. She didn't have to turn around to know that Sesshoumaru had transformed once more. The feeling of him standing directly behind her, looming over her, was enough. She trustingly leaned back, smiling when she came into contact with his warm body. A few strands of his hair floated over her shoulder and Kagome picked them up. She twirled them around her fingers, not wanting to turn and face him yet. Seeing him in his dog form was one thing after the night they'd had. Seeing him as she knew him was something entirely different. She'd practically committed bestiality last evening. Albeit her dog was willing—very willing, in fact. And he'd been willing several times. Her once virginal mind was just still coming into acceptance of that act was all. Still, though. "So what now?" she asked.

She could feel his unspoken laughter at her shyness. Youkai had no concept of modesty, she realized, when he easily scooped her up against him and she found him to be as naked as he'd been the night before. "Now we bathe," he answered.

Kagome settled her arms comfortably around his shoulders. She leaned her head against his chest. "And then?"

Sesshoumaru smirked and Kagome's blush intensified...

***

**FINISHED**

***

_Well, that's it, folks! __My Only__ is done and complete. There will be no sequel—at least not in my lifetime, lol. Thank you for the wonderful ride and for all your support and comments. I know there's a lot left to be explored in this fic, but I prefer to leave some things up to my readers' imaginations and my muse loved this way of coming to a close. _

_I couldn't have finished this without the devotion, encouragement, and harassment you offered me through reviews and PMs on a regular basis. I'm sad to see this end as I've loved talking with you all, but also happy it is complete as I'm ready to move on to other ideas and this one's consumed me for long enough. My sincerest gratitude to those who have nominated this fic for the Dokuga fan fiction awards and to those who have voted. Though I do not write for the pretty banners, it's still a nice thing to receive. _

_I hope to see you all again on my next ride through the wonderful world of Inuyasha fan fiction._

_LC Rose_


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